The P15-million new building for the Department of Education-Division of Sagay City was inaugurated within the five-hectare land area donated by the Sagay City Government in Sitio Chloe, Brgy. Rizal, recently.
The building occupies 3,500 square meters on the donated land, beside the two buildings of the Sagay City Senior High School.
It will house more than 200 personnel of DepEd-Sagay City Division.
The inauguration was led by Mayor Alfredo Marañon, III, DepEd-Sagay Acting Superindendent Arlene Bermejo, Acting Assistant Superintendent Ruby Therese Almencion, Vice Mayor NarcisoJavelosa, former Schools Governance and Operations Head NicanorAlparito, and other DepEd personnel and city staff.
Marañon said in his speech that DepEd-Sagay is growing fast and they need a bigger plan.
“Even school buildings have been established one after the other,” the mayor said, adding “We really need to plan for something big as, through the years, our educational needs have grown bigger.”
The building started construction in May 2018 and was expected to be tentatively finished by March 2020 but that did not push through due to the pandemic.
But, the stakeholders cooperated to pursue the construction, Bermejo said.
The City Government provided what are needed until everything was settled for occupancy. Indeed, the building is a translation of reality to meet the challenging times,” she said during the program.
And despite the difficulties brought about by NCOV 19 pandemic, the School Division Office has delivered and the children are ensured that their studies will not be hampered, she added.
Meanwhile, Alparito, former SGOD Chief who retired four months ago, also gave important details on the building. He was a major prime mover of this education facility along with former Division Chief, Marsette Sabbaluca, and Josette Balandra, Senior Education Program Specialist for Social Mobilization and Networking for facilitating the acquisition of the donation and request for approval of the fund allocation from DepEd Central Office.
Also cited were Mayor Alfredo Maranon, III, who approved the donation of lot and Rep. Leo Rafael Cueva, who fast tracked the allocation of funds.
Former DepEd Undersecretary Mario Deriquito also helped in facilitating the allocation of funds from the Central Office and Region VI Director Gilbert Sadsadfor endorsement to the Central Office and to the present SDS Arlene Bermejo for continuing the unfinished work till its completion.
In a statement, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said that the building is a welcome development in the second district of Negros Occidental, adding that it will pave the way for improving and capacitatingSagay schools and DepEd personnel.
“Education and improving our educational policies are among the top priorities of the provincial administration, and particularly, public education remains to be the most important tool in lifting families out of poverty and in giving solid opportunities to our youth,” he said in his statement which was delivered by Executive Assistant to the Governor, Roy Plagata.
Vice Mayor Narciso “Narwin” Javelosa, Jr. also congratulated the DepEd-Sagay for the completion of their new building and assured the educators that the City Government will continue to support the academic endeavors of the division.
Almencion also said the new home of the DepEd-Sagay is a tribute to the men and women who conceptualized this beautiful building and who have worked hard to realize this dream, adding, that with this new and promising structure may they all renew our hopes and optimism in these most trying times then.*
