New laboratory buildings up for construction in Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 13 (PNA) – More laboratory buildings are set to be constructed this year for the Department of Education’s senior high school (SHS) implementation in Leyte province.

DepEd Leyte schools division superintendent Ronelo Al Firmo said during the first year of implementation of the kindergarten and 12 years basic education (K to12) , DepEd addressed the need for additional classrooms for senior high school enrolees.

This has been met so far, according to Firmo; however, with the start of the second year, laboratory buildings for the curriculum’s specialized skills will be built.

The new laboratory buildings will be constructed in identified schools in Leyte; although, there are still a number of senior high school classrooms being completed all around the province.

“The laboratory buildings will address more of the technical-vocational track of the K to 12 program,” Firmo said.

The two years of SHS consists of two parts: Track Subjects—covering the development of skills for immediate employment or entrepreneurship, and Core Subjects—to ensure college readiness of K-12 graduates. It also facilitates four career tracks for students to choose from: Academic, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood, Sports, and Art & Design.

The technical-vocational livelihood track is divided into four strands which include home economics, information and communication technology, agri-fisheries and industrial arts. 

These are the strands that are in need of laboratories such as in food and beverage, bread and pastry, handicrafts, ICT, carpentry, automotive servicing, electronics repair, plumbing, among others.

Construction of these new SHS laboratory buildings will be done by the Department of Public Works and Highways and funded under the DepEd’s Basic Educational Facilities Fund (BEFF).

The DPWH was tasked to implement the construction of the classrooms based on a list of school buildings and work program submitted by the DepEd.

In 2016, Eastern Visayas got the bulk of the PHP31.8 billion classrooms construction and rehabilitation budget nationwide.

“We had a good number of enrolees for the first year of senior high school, and we are expecting an increase in the coming school year, thus we are trying to close in the gaps in terms of school buildings and other facilities among our public schools in the province,” Firmo added. (PNA)

FPV/SQM/AHLETTE C. REYES/EGR