The 2-storey 6-classroom P21.4-million school building project at Vicente Enerio Memorial Elementary School, Bolibol, Oroquieta City. (Shi Prieto photo)
TheMonitorMindanaoToday.com | P21M school building rushed for completion
By: Uriel Quilinguing
Classes in all public schools are set to start on June 8, yet some are done somewhere.
In Oroquieta City of Misamis Occidental, about a hundred learners from Bolibol village will be attending classes at the barangay hall’s ground floor. This is not the first time, though.
Their school, Vicente Enerio Memorial Elementary School (VEMES) has only two classrooms when the Department of Education (DepEd) gave the green light to accept enrollees three years ago. Kindergarten instruction was at the school principal’s office.
VEMES, the 51st public school in the Oroquieta City Schools Division, could have had six more classrooms–enough to accommodate its 103 pupils or more–had the school building and facilities project been completed and made functional last school year.
With P21,400,655 funding from the 2024 General Appropriations Act, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 1st Engineering District Office in Misamis Occidental awarded the project to a Tangub City-based contractor, SGM Construction, the winning bidder.
Construction of a 2-storey 6-classroom school building of VEMES inside its half-hectare donated school site started on July 15, 2024. Its completion date was February 26, 2025, as indicated in the project billboard.
In fact, the transparency dashboard of BetterGov.ph, a national government portal, reported the project has been completed.
But the P21.4-million two-level structure turned out to become a white elephant because the structure was not turned over to DepEd Oroquieta City Schools Division Office, for unknown reason.
“As teachers, we step into June, with a familiar spark a glow of eagerness to shape the future of our dear Orotreasures (learners from Oroquieta). But this year, that spark was instantly snuffed out by a harsh, heartbreaking reality: the classrooms meant to house these dreams are still not ready,” a portion of VEMES Master Teacher 1 Shirlyn A. Prieto social media post two weeks ago reads.
Prieto’s post caught the attention of the DPWH Regional Office 10 and instructed its field engineers to address the concern with urgency due to the opening of classes. Fifteen construction workers were deployed the project site on May 25, this year, in addition to three painters.
Jaymaica Maraguinot, acting head of DPWH-10 regional public affairs and information office, said that among the priorities is the construction of two functional comfort rooms aside from making sure the six classrooms are “ready, safe, and occupiable by the start of classes.”
Classes may already be held in classrooms while “the remaining correction works are ongoing to ensure that quality standards and project requirements are properly met,” she said, echoing the assurances of DPWH resident and project engineers.
However, School Principal Glydel Vicente said they would rather wait for the proper time rather than put their pupils and teachers at risk by occupying a school building while construction works are ongoing.
Vicente said they were in agreement with the position of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) that classes be held in the new school building only when it is totally complete and proper turnover has been done.
This was agreed upon in a meeting on Monday, June 1, with technical personnel from the DPWH 1st Engineering District Office and from SGM Construction.
Meanwhile, pupils enrolled in Grade 6, Grade 3, and Grade 2 will still be held at the barangay hall where classes are separated by plywood dividers. Teachers for three grade levels take turns in speaking so that learners will only be hearing one voice at one time, Prieto said.
Formal turnover of the new school building is tentatively set on July 31, this year. – Uriel Quilinguing
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