Capitol, DepED,
LGUs sign pact with RAFI on construction of P106M school buildings
By Ramon Aboitiz Foundation
Inc.
February 9, 2015
CEBU CITY – The Cebu
Provincial Government and officials and representatives of the
Department of Education (DepED) and 10 Local Government Units (LGUs)
last February 6 entered into separate agreements with the Ramon
Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) on the construction of multi-story
school buildings in 10 areas identified as experiencing acute shortage
of classrooms.
Aside from the mayors and/or
their representatives, the agreement signing, which was part of RAFI’s
High School Building Program, was held at the Capitol Social Hall and
was graced no less by Governor Hilario Davide III, Vice Governor Agnes
Magpale, DepED Regional Director Juliet Jeruta, and DepED-Cebu
Province Schools Division Superintendent Arden Monisit.
School heads of Calape
National High School (NHS), San Remigio NHS, Marikaban Integrated
School (IS), Bagalnga IS, Carmen NHS, Catmon IS, Mohon NHS, Sangat NHS,
Mantalongon NHS, among others, were also present during the signing.
Anthony Dignadice, RAFI
Education Development Unit executive director, said the agreement
signing was a result of RAFI’s effort to collaborate with concerned
sectors in its endeavour to help address the problem of lack of
classrooms in Cebu.
"One of our strategies in
RAFI is collaboration. In the Education Development Unit of RAFI, we
have been partners with LGUs and other stakeholders. Since last year,
we established a partnership with the (Cebu) Provincial Capitol in
terms of delivering our education programs,” he said.
“This year, once again, we
are specifically engaging the Province as our key partner to support
our education priorities in the construction of 10 multi-storey school
buildings in various areas where there are critical classroom gaps,"
he added.
Last January 26, the Cebu
Provincial Board authorized Davide to represent the Capitol in signing
the agreements, as construction of each school building entails that
the Province shells out counterpart funding.
For example, a three-story,
nine-classroom school building at San Remigio NHS (San Remigio town)
requires that the Capitol sets aside P4.31 million as counterpart
amount to RAFI’s P8 million. This type of school building will also be
constructed at Catmon IS (Catmon town) and at Carmen NHS (Carmen
town).
A two-storey, six-classroom building costing P8 million (Capitol,
P3.07 million; RAFI, P5.7 million) will also be built at Sangat NHS
(San Fernando town), Bagalnga IS (Compostela town), Calape NHS (Daanbantayan
town), Mantalongon NHS (Barili town), Mohon NHS (Sogod town), and
Marikaban IS (Santa Fe town, Bantayan Island).
Madridejos NHS (Madridejos
town), on the other hand, will have a four-storey, 12-classroom
building worth P16 million (Capitol, P7.5 million; RAFI, P8.5
million).
For all agreements, the LGUS
are required to “provide institutional, technical and operational
support in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the
project” and facilitate compliance with the required permits.
DepED, on the other hand, is
expected to “provide institutional support and ensure smooth
implementation of the project,” “be responsible for the custody and
maintenance of the completed school building,” and provide the needed
teachers and school fixtures, among other obligations stipulated in
the agreement.
"We look forward to continue
this partnership with the Province for the construction of more school
buildings for high schools, including Tech-Voc facilities to help
prepare for the implementation of the senior high school program
beginning school year 2016-2017 under the new K to 12 curriculum of
DepED," Dignadice said following the signing of the agreements.