The Iloilo City Government, led by Mayor Raisa Treñas, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Education (DepEd) for the construction of additional classroom buildings in the city.
In an interview during the "Your City At Work" radio program, Treñas said the partnership is a significant development in addressing the lack of classrooms in the city’s public schools. She noted that some schools have a high student-to-classroom ratio and still implement shifting schedules.
Treñas explained that once completed, the project will increase the number of classrooms, helping eliminate shifting schedules and improve the quality of education for students. "The MOA is the assurance that DepEd will provide funding for the construction of our classrooms," she added.
According to Treñas, the program requires the construction of new classroom buildings, with the number of classrooms depending on the amount of funding downloaded to the local government unit. She also shared that the project may begin by the third quarter of the year once the design is finalized and approved by DepEd.
"I hope that by next school year, we will have a new school building as part of our partnership with DepEd," she added. Treñas emphasized that one of the biggest challenges facing the education sector is the shortage of classrooms, which has resulted in shifting schedules and shorter class periods.
"Instead of a one-hour period, some classes are only 45 minutes. This will be a big help if we can add more classrooms because we can return to one-hour class periods and maximize the quality of education we provide to our children," said the mayor.
In her message to students, parents, and teachers, Treñas assured the public that education remains a top priority of her administration. "We are showing that the priority under this administration is the education of our children. We know that through good education, it can help families and provide a better future for our children," she added.
The partnership underscores the City Government’s continuing commitment to investing in education and building better learning environments for Ilonggo students.
