City Hall to rebuild burned classrooms

THE Cebu City Local School Board will spend for the  reconstruction of the eight classrooms damaged by the fire that hit the second floor of a Gabaldon style building at the City Central School.

Mayor Michael Rama said he already ordered Ester Cubero, the city’s education consultant, to facilitate the release of Special Education Funds for the needed reconstruction.

He said  the school board  has existing stockpile of construction materials which they could immediately use for the reconstruction project.

“But I will also sit down with the Local School Board to formally discuss all these concerns,” he said.

Aside from rebuilding the burnt classrooms, the school board already purchased  armchairs and books for City Central School pupils and those coming from other public schools in the city.

Councilor Jose Daluz III said in an earlier interview that the Rama administration is allocating P64 million from its SEF to purchase bags, school supplies, education materials and armchairs.

Meanwhile, Rama yesterday joined the launch of the “Cebu Moves for Ten”, a fund raising campaign organized by the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Ayala Business Club to help raise donations for the construction of additional school buildings in various parts across  the country.

The Cebu Moves for Ten campaign seeks raise funds from Cebuanos who would be asked to save P10 per day for a period of 10 months and donate it to help raise funds for 10, 000 classrooms in the country in the next 10 months.

The launch held at the Ayala activity center was attended by Education Secretary Armin Luistro and businessman Fernando Zobel de Ayala.

“Cebu and the rest of the Visayas can help us build 10, 000 classrooms,” Luistro said.

“Imagine what will happen if in the Philippines, we will be able to address all the needs of our citizens,” he said.

Rama said in his message during the Cebu Moves for Ten launch that education may be expensive but it is needed in order to address ignorance and bring substantial improvements to the lives of every Filipino. /Edison A. delos Angeles, Correspondent