DPWH Leyte office fast tracks construction of school buildings

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 4 (PNA) -– The Leyte 2nd Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH 2nd LED) is fast tracking the construction of 79 units of school building for the Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (K to 12) program costing PhP413 million and funded under the Department of Education’s Basic Educational Facilities Fund (BEFF).

As of end of November, the district office has completed three senior high school buildings in three different towns.

One is the two-classroom school buildings at the Sta. Ana National High School, La Paz town. The project cost is PhP1.78 million.

Another is a one-storey, four-classroom school building at Guinarona National High School in Dagami town. The classrooms also have toilets attached. This project was completed earlier than the targeted date on December 7, 2015.

Meanwhile, in Pastrana town, the one-storey, three classroom building with toilets has been completed at the Bahay Elementary School.

All the classrooms are expected to be finished by next March to comply with DepEd’s directive to finish them before the start of the implementation of Grades 11 and 12 in the next school year.

DPWH is expected to provide half of the number of needed classrooms for the first year implementation of SHS and the other half in 2016 in preparation for the second year implementation in 2017.

As part of the ongoing preparations for the full implementation of the K to 12 Program particularly the Senior High School (SHS) in SY 2016-2017, the Department of Education continues to undertake efforts to adequately address the needs and ensure the success of the Senior High School Program in the region.

The completion of two additional years is expected to equip students with skills that will prepare them better, whether they decide to pursue higher education, employment, middle level skills development, or entrepreneurship in the future.

SHS under the K to 12 curriculum officially opens in school year 2016-2017 with the enrollment of students in Grade 11, followed by Grade 12 in school year 2017-2018. (PNA)
LAP/SQM/AHLETTE C. REYES