Elections stall construction of classrooms

The election-ban period has prevented the city government of Iloilo from proceeding with the construction of school buildings intended for the Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-to-12) Program. 

But Joren Sartorio, head of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), said construction will start immediately as soon as the election period is over.

The city government plans to build eight school buildings in six national high schools.

The program covers kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High School [SHS]) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.

Sartorio, also the chief of city hall’s General Services Office, said the BAC was prepared to undertake the bidding process but was unable to get an exemption from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The city government contracted a loan of P360 million for the construction of the school buildings earmarked for the June 2016 school opening.

The fund is now held in trust with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

“Everything is already in place for the school building construction after the elections,” Sartorio assured the public.

Each of the eight school buildings to be constructed will have four floors and 20 classrooms.

A school building will cost about P45 million each.

The building design will be patterned after the design of classrooms built by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

Sartorio said a Pagcor school costs some P40 million. The city’s proposed school buildings, on the other hand, cost about P45 million each to include the landfill component. Beneficiary schools are:

* Mandurriao National High School (one building)

* TCT-AR Foundation Integrated School in Jaro district (one building)

* Fort San Pedro National High School in the City Proper (one building)

* Jalandoni Memorial National High School in Lapuz district (one building)

* Iloilo City National High School in Molo district (two buildings), and

* Jaro National High School (two buildings).