AN OFFICIAL of the Municipal Government of Isabela is urging anew the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Education (DepEd) to expedite the construction of almost P38 million worth of classrooms at Tinongan National High School (TNHS) in Isabela.
Councilor Patrick Montilla, chairman of the Municipal Council Committee on Education, in an interview in Bacolod City on Sunday, June 3, he expressed frustrations over the delays in the construction of two school building projects that are supposed to benefit at least 400 students.
Montilla recalled that their family earlier donated 9,973 square meters of lot along the highway at Hacienda San Bonifacio in Barangay Tinongan.
The groundbreaking for the projects was then held in September 2017.
"To this day, no single structure was established," he lamented, adding that "I am appealing to have it materialized soon. The school year is about to open yet we still have nothing to use."
The projects include the construction of three units of two-storey four-classroom building worth almost P34.7 million, and construction of one-storey two-classroom school building for senior high school worth about P3.2 million.
In a letter dated last April 27, DPWH Negros Occidental Second District Engineer Randolfo Melosantos forwarded the concerns raised by Montilla to Regional Director Wenceslao Leaño Jr.
The school building projects were already validated during the third quarter of last year, Melosantos said.
The letter stated that there was a need to redesign the building foundation due to the result of the soil analysis. After the revision of the foundation, revised Program of Work, Plans and Structural Analysis were submitted to the DepEd central office in Manila in November 2017.
"As of the moment, this office is still waiting for the Special Allotment Released Order (Saro) of the said school building projects in order to start with the procurement process since all necessary documents for bidding were already prepared," it added.
For Montilla, however, it should not be this way. The soil analysis was conducted seven months ago, but he was just informed of the results.
"The people whom we made a promise have been waiting for the projects which remain hanging," Montilla said, adding that students of TNHS will still have to share classrooms with those in the elementary level.
The councilor also dismissed speculations that there is a "change" on the location where the school project will be located. "We have even been pushing to expedite the donation of the lot."
Montilla, who already appealed to the concerned agencies last April, is calling on the DepEd and DPWH to make the projects as one of their top priorities.
"The lean period is approaching, the projects could actually help residents by providing jobs," he added.
For her part, DepEd Division of Negros Occidental Superintendent Portia Mallorca yesterday, June 3, told VoxPop Bacolod that they already sent a request to the agency's central office to start the construction of the school buildings.
Mallorca said she also advised the Division Engineer to follow up Montilla's letter to expedite the two projects.
"Though we cannot assure yet as to when exactly the construction will start, the projects will surely push through," she said, adding that "it is one of the priorities."
