By Mariela Angella Oladive
A PHP227-million education infrastructure project designed to ease classroom shortages and improve learning conditions has broken ground in Iloilo City and the province.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on December 13 at Iloilo National High School (INHS), marking the start of construction for new classroom buildings across eight schools.
The initiative, led by Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., Uswag Ilonggo Party-list Representative James Ang Jr., and Iloilo 3rd District Representative Lorenz Defensor, aims to address overcrowding and enhance the learning environment.
Under the project, each school will receive multi-story buildings to address the growing student population.
Hibao-an Integrated Elementary School, Arevalo Elementary School, Iloilo Central School, Uswag San Isidro Elementary School, and Mandurriao Elementary School will each receive a PHP23.5-million, three-story, six-classroom building.
Fort San Pedro National High School and Iloilo City National High School will each benefit from a PHP31.5-million, four-story, eight-classroom building, under the Schools Division of Iloilo City.
Iloilo National High School, meanwhile, will see the construction of a PHP46.8-million, four-story, 12-classroom building.
Rep. Ang said the funding was secured upon the request of Gov. Defensor and Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, emphasizing the project’s broad impact on education.
“Each province, each town, we have one project. We will have one project for each school in every municipality because I believe this project will have a major impact on education,” Ang said.
Schools Division of Iloilo City Superintendent Ma. Luz De Los Reyes welcomed the initiative, highlighting its importance in alleviating the classroom shortage.
“We have several schools included in this project, and it is a tremendous help, especially for the high schools,” De Los Reyes said.
“In terms of impact, this will make a significant difference because these are three- or four-story buildings, which will add many classrooms. We are very thankful for this support,” she added.
However, challenges remain. INHS still needs 60 additional classrooms to meet the ideal one-classroom-to-one-class ratio.
While some improvements have been made through the local government’s Special Education Fund, the demand continues to grow.
Fort San Pedro National High School has resorted to shifting schedules to accommodate its expanding student body.
“Nevertheless, we are truly grateful that attention has been given to these needs. We remain hopeful that other schools will also receive similar projects in the future,” De Los Reyes said.
The project is expected to significantly improve the learning conditions for thousands of students in Iloilo, addressing critical gaps in educational infrastructure.
