On School Building Construction: Gwen sees lower cost than national government allocation

Governor Gwen Garcia yesterday commented that the national government's P1.5 million budget for the construction of a two-classroom building was just to high, as she maintained that the Capitol would soon start constructing 50 school buildings in Cebu at a cost of P480,000 each only.

Gwen announced that the provincial government would publish next week the invitation to bid for the construction of 50 two-classroom buildings in various public schools in the province, after which another set of 50 would be built also.

With such substantial cut in cost off the national government's usual allocation, the governor said she would rather have the national fund be given directly to local governments, which know more on the actual concerns surrounding such project.

The LGUs could address better the shortage of classrooms in public schools if the national funds intended for such would be released directly to them, said Gwen.

Acting provincial engineer Eulogio Pelayre, for his part, said the design for the lower-cost building is ready, and the only problem is on the status of some lots where the buildings would be built.

He said that some of the 50 project sites, which were earlier identified by head teachers of the respective schools, have no consent yet from lot owners and thus need further negotiations.

This kind of problem arose when head teachers fail to coordinate with their local government officials on identifying sites-some of which are donated, and negotiations with knotty lot owners, said Pelayre.

Given the situation, the governor then ordered the provincial engineering office to coordinate with the mayors of towns and component cities to resolve the problems on project sites. "They (mayors) know better than the school heads," she said.

At the outset, Gwen announced that she already awarded college scholarship grants to 47 beneficiaries last week, as recommended by Provincial Board member Juan Bolo, education committee chairman.

Gwen further announced that the Capitol would be giving free backpacks, notebooks, and pencils to every incoming Grade I pupils in all public elementary schools in the province.

The problem on lack of classrooms in public schools caused President Gloria Arroyo to reprimand acting Education Secretary Fe Hidalgo, during a Cabinet meeting, over the conflicting figures on shortage nationwide.

Hidalgo reported a current shortage of 6,832 classrooms, at a ratio of 45 students per classroom, but Mrs. Arroyo contested this with her own figures, which placed the deficit at 1,000 classrooms only. The President argued that, in 2004, the government earmarked a student-classroom ratio of 100:1 but classes would be in two shifts.

Meanwhile, the Department of Budget reported that it already authorized the release of funds for the hiring of 5,300 new teachers and the construction of more classrooms nationwide. - Cristina C. Birondo