2-storey school building to rise in Limasawa Island

LIMASAWA, Southern Leyte, April 12 (PNA) –- A two-storey school building will soon rise in this island town as part of preparations for the full implementation of the Senior High School (SHS) Program.

The PHP8.77 million project, which started on February 18, will be the first of its kind in this historic town. It is within the campus of Limasawa National High School (LNHS) in Barangay Triana.

“We have to rush this project since this is badly needed for the first batch of Grade 11 students this coming school year,” said Engr. Ma. Margaritaa C. Junia, chief of the Department of Public Works and Highways Southern Leyte District Engineering Office (DPWH-SLDEO).

However, the project will be completed in September instead of June since the first bidding failed as no contractor was interested to take the project due to non-inclusion of transhipment cost to the original contract amount.

The DPWH-SLDEO had to ask for additional funding from central office to carry out the project.

Amor Abando, LNHS school principal thanked the DPWH for the first two-storey school building project in this town. The project will benefit about 107 Grade 11 students starting June 6, 2016. The number is expected to double in the next academic year.

The new building’s eight classrooms can accommodate up to 320 students in eight classes. LNHS has a population of 485 junior high school students in the previous school year.

“We are happy that the 107 students who just finished Grade 10 don’t have to cross the sea to mainland of Southern Leyte to take senior high school since we will have new classrooms for them,” Abando said.

The students will use existing laboratory rooms for the first three months of SHS program implementation while waiting for the completion of new classrooms, according to Abando.

Limasawa is a sixth class town and an island of the same name in this province. It is the site of the First Mass in the Philippines when Portuguese world explorer Ferdinand Magellan ended in the beautiful island looking for spices.

The DPWH is fast tracking classroom construction works ahead of the full implementation of K to 12 (Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education) starting June 6, 2016. SHS covers the last two years of the K to 12 program.

The program covers eight learning areas as part of its core curriculum, and adds specific tracks (similar to college courses) based on four disciplines.

The national government has earmarked PHP213.15 million for the construction of 202 classrooms for public secondary schools in Southern Leyte province to support the SHS program. 

All these projects are being implemented by DPWH-SLDEO. (PNA)

LAP/SQM/PR