MANILA – The national government will construct 82 new classrooms in 12 elementary schools and high schools in nine towns of Antique province.
According to Antique lone district representative Loren Legarda, the municipalities of Laua-an, Culasi, Hamtic, San Remigio, Sibalom, Tibiao, Tobias Fornier, Belison, and Patnongon received a funding of P205.6 million under the Basic Educational Facilities Fund (BEFF) for the construction of the new classrooms for this year.
“Education plays a vital role in nation building and economic development. Thus, it is necessary for us to prioritize the construction of classrooms to provide our students better facilities and a more conducive learning environment,” Legarda said.
She added: “I will continue to strive to fulfill my commitment to improve the lives of Antiqueños and give priority to addressing the long-standing problem of classroom backlog in my province.”
Legarda urged the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Education to construct the classrooms “environment-friendly, structurally sound and disaster resilient.”
She also called on the two agencies to jointly order the integration of a green environment in the school community which include the installation of materials recovery facility and of appropriate trash bins to help in the proper implementation of ecological solid waste management.
The construction of rainwater catchment to harvest water for future use and planting of vegetable gardens and trees in available spaces around the schools are also being suggested.
“As we continue to embrace needed reforms to upgrade our country’s education system, let us be reminded that adaptation, resilience and sustainability must now be basic considerations in the implementation of public infrastructure projects,” said Legarda./PN
