Dizon made the statement on Saturday, October 15, 2022, during the turnover ceremony of a three-story building with six classrooms at the Tingub Elementary School in partnership with the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc., its affiliate Cebu Mandaue Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce Industry Inc. and the Mandaue City Government.
Gemma Tangoan, the school principal, said the P8-million building will help address their lack of classrooms.
“Before this donation was made, we conducted emergency classes from kindergarten to Grade 6 because we lacked classrooms. Now, after this turnover, we will be having emergency classes from Grade 3 to 6 only and finally have full-day classes for kindergarten to Grade 2,” she said.
With the additional six classrooms, Tingub Elementary School now has 15 classrooms to cater to about 500 students.
Dizon stressed the need to build more classrooms in the city, saying most schools do not have enough to facilitate student learning.
She said some schools have yet to repair classrooms that were damaged during typhoon Odette last December.
Meanwhile, Dizon did not disclose the amount she is seeking from the national government.
She also said she will try to convince private partners to help address the problem of classroom shortage.
“Not necessarily that we get funds from the local government but at least from the organizations and good Samaritans who are willing to help us achieve our dream of adding more classrooms,” she said.
The City Government earlier allocated P30 million to repair classrooms damaged by the typhoon.
The Department of Education in Central Visayas earlier identified schools that were heavily damaged in the city.
These were the elementary schools in Barangays Tingub, Casili, Maguikay, Umapad, Banilad, Cabancalan II, Tabok I and II, Bakilid, and Canduman and the elementary and high schools in Barangays Labogon and Pagsabungan.