Celso unveils ZCHS-West 2-storey 6-room building
Mayor Celso Lobregat leads the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon during the inaguration of the 2-storey 6 classroom building at the ZCHS-West in Baliwasan Friday. Assisting the mayor are Councilors Rudy Lim and Jaime Cabato, School principal Ramon Ongchua, City Schools OIC Supt. Norma Vecina and council aspirants Ller Natividad and Josephine Pareja and PTA officials. (JOEY BAUTISTA)
Continuously fulfilling his commitment to education, Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday turned over to the administration of the Zamboanga City High School (ZCHS)-West, a new two-storey 6 classroom building, the second school building to be unveiled this year.
Amounting to P2.9 million, the project is considered part of the city’s youth development program for it aims to ensure improved quality of education and eventually better future for the young students.
Mayor Lobregat has gained the reputation of being one of the only few mayors who have been undertaking massive school building programs in the country. In 2009, the city through his initiative completed the construction of 20 school buildings with 113 classrooms worth P100. 02 million while 42 classrooms were repaired/rehabilitated costing P7.59 million.
Mayor Lobregat has continuously assured that his administration’s support to education will be endless and unbending for it not only promotes youth development but also helps reduce poverty.
Last February 3, the mayor turned over 3 rehabilitated school buildings to the administration of the Mercedes National High School. What used to be a bodega of junks and decaying buildings at Mercedes National High School in the east coast now look so brand new after a rehabilitation cost of about P3 million by the city government under the present administration of Mayor Celso Lobregat.
The newly rehabilitated buildings with a total of 14 classrooms are more than enough to accommodate the growing student population of Mercedes NHS.
During the Mercedes inauguration, Lobregat said the project forms part of the so many great and relevant things that his administration has been doing for the city, especially for the public education sector. Lobregat stressed that the rehabilitation of the three buildings proved that “we spent money prudently.” “Many people thought the buildings were better if demolished, but our policy is to save, repair, restore and rehab old buildings whenever we can and they came as good as new.”
The mayor and education officials are expected to be back at the ZCHS-West for another inauguration of project in the days to come, as the construction of a 3-storey 15 classroom building worth P13.48 million is ongoing.
The city has ventured into the construction of 3-storey school buildings because of the limited space and high student classroom ratio in some schools such as the ZCHS-West.
There are a total of 15 new buildings with 134 Classrooms that are undergoing construction worth P112.00 million. Aside from the project at the ZCHS-West, the other new buildings are the 3-storey 23 classroom building in Tugbungan Elementary School and the 3-storey 21 classroom in Talon-talon Elementary School.
Meanwhile, popular ABS-CBN Broadcaster Korina Sanchez, wife of Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Sen. Mar Roxas, graced the turn over ceremony at the ZCHS-West yesterday morning after she keynoted the Marcha Para Las Mujeres, a fund raising campaign initiated by the Gender and Development (GAD) focal group for marginalized women sector.
Also present during the turn over rites were Councilors Rudy Lim and Jimmy Cabato,
City Schools Supt. OIC Dr. Norma Vecina, ZCHS-West Principal Ramon Ongchua, the parent-teacher association and council aspirants Ller Natividad and Josephine Pareja. (Sheila Covarrubias)