LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The Department of Education (DepEd) central office will be constructing a PHP30.7-million school building in Puguis Elementary School, one of the primary public schools in this capital town.
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Tuesday, Nestor Bolayo, Schools Division Assistant Superintendent of Benguet, said the building will be funded by the DepEd central office. It will be a four-storey building with 16 classrooms.
Bolayo said the classrooms will address the growing number of enrollees in the school. Puguis Elementary School now has over 1,200 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6.
Bolayo said the Benguet Engineering District 1 of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Cordillera will manage the construction of the school building. The bidding process for its construction is underway.
Puguis Elementary School principal Sherly Comila welcomed this development despite a land ownership problem the school is now facing.
It was learned that the one-hectare property occupied by the school was acquired from the ascendants of the Kimo family and was donated by the late old folks, though verbally, to the school many years ago.
Because of an ongoing conflict among the living family members, a dispute case on the ownership of the property is now pending in court.
The school principal lamented such land ownership dispute had somehow hampered projects for the school, such as the new school building.
In another development, Bolayo said the first day of classes in various public elementary and secondary schools in Benguet province went smoothly on Monday, based on field reports they received from the school principals.
She added there were also late enrollments in the elementary and high school levels in some schools in the province. (PNA)
