THE City Government of Bacolod is still waiting for the decision of the Department of Education (DepEd)-Western Visayas on their request for additional school facilities to be utilized as quarantine centers due to the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Councilor Renecito Novero, chairman of the city's quarantine center action team, said he already talked to the officials of DepEd-Bacolod, and they do not have an objection to it.
"We are only waiting for the final documents that will be signed by the DepEd regional director as well as Mayor Evelio Leonardia," he said.
The City Council earlier approved a resolution requesting the DepEd-Western Visayas and Deped-Bacolod for additional school facilities to be utilized as quarantine centers due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
It also requested an extension for the utilization of schools beyond June 30, 2020.
Novero, who authored the resolution, said the number of individuals infected by the Covid-19 pandemic has kept on increasing in the country and more particularly in the City of Bacolod.
"The number of returning Bacolod residents is also increasing and the 118 classrooms in the present eight public schools with existing Memorandum of Agreement between the DepEd-Bacolod may no longer be sufficient to accommodate all the returning residents," he said.
Novero added that four more public schools have been identified by the City Engineer's Office, which can provide an additional 145 classrooms and can accommodate around 540 occupants.
These schools are Sum-ag National High School with 40 rooms, Luisa Medel National High School with 35 rooms, Mansilingan Agro-Industrial High School with 33 rooms, and Luis Hervias National High School with 37 rooms.
Under the existing Memorandum of Agreement between the DepEd and Bacolod City, the utilization of existing public schools Bata Elementary School, Andres Bonifacio Elementary School, M.G Medalla Integrated School, Lopez Jaena Elementary School, Education and Training Center School (ETCS-1 Extension), Bacolod City National High School, Corazon Locsin Montelibano Elementary school, and Don Alfredo Montelibano Sr., is only until June 30.
"So far, for now, the city can still accommodate the returning residents, the locally stranded individuals or overseas Filipino workers, and we don't have a problem on it," Novero said.
