MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte—The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) field office in this province has in its pipeline the construction of 27 disaster-resilient school buildings this year.
DPWH Southern Leyte district engineer Maria Margarita Junia said P84.55 million has been budgeted for this project that will be implemented in 13 municipalities under the 2017 Basic Educational Facilities Fund.
Junia said bidding for the construction of disaster-resilient school buildings was conducted from October 18 to 20.
The new school buildings will have an average of two classrooms each with upgraded designs, enough to withstand intense winds and earthquakes.
Eastern Visayas has been the center of recent highly destructive calamities, including supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013 and the 6.5-magnitude earthquake in July 6.
This series of calamities has prompted the Department of Education (DepEd) and the DPWH to upgrade its standard of classroom designs.
Junia said the structural component of the buildings, such as footing, columns and beams, will be expanded for safer and more conducive learning space for students.
Junia added of the total 27 buildings, four will rise in Hinundayan town; three each in Sogod, Saint Bernard Bontoc and Padre Burgos; two each in Limasawa, Silago and San Francisco; and one each in Liloan, Pintuyan, Malitbog, Macrohon and Tomas Oppus towns.
Junia said the construction of these new school buildings is only part of its massive DepEd projects under the 2017 fund, prompting the engineering district to work double time for its prompt implementation.
The school buildings were scheduled for bidding early this year, but the bidding was not pushed through because of the ample time needed to complete the soil test, which serves as the basis in coming up with the final design of the project.
Overall, the school building projects for Southern Leyte will cost P1.21 billion designed to curb classroom shortage in public elementary and high schools in the province.
Based on DepEd Southern Leyte division listings, there are 61 sites for one-story school buildings and 55 for multi-story buildings. However, some are still under validation for final listing and release of fund.