The six classrooms proposed to be constructed at the Negros Occidental High School in Bacolod City, and funded by the provincial government at P10,160,454, are replacements for demolished old classrooms, Board Member Salvador Escalante said yesterday.

Escalante, chairman of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Finance and Appropriations, said the Marcos-type classrooms had to be demolished, to pave the way for the ongoing construction of the 24 classrooms that are included in the first phase of the project.

Vice Gov. Genaro Alvarez Jr. had earlier questioned the proposed six additional classrooms at the NOHS, on top of the 24 rooms funded by the provincial government at P40 million.

Alvarez said the 24 classrooms cost P1.6 million each, that, he added, is way higher than the standard classroom built by the Department of Public Works and Highways at P650,000 each.

Escalante, who met with NOHS teachers during a committee hearing, said they were able to establish that the six classrooms are replacements for the demolished classrooms, and not additional ones.

He, however, failed to answer queries as to why the budget for six classrooms was not included in that for the construction of the 24 classrooms, that was temporarily stopped because of requirements and guidelines set by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to local government units in securing loans from government banks and resulted in the non-payment of its contractor.

Escalante said the BSP has approved the construction of 24 NOHS classrooms with a budget of P40 million, and additional classrooms at the annex building, which will cost the provincial government P10 million.

He also said the construction of the 24 classrooms is expected to resume on the first week of December, as the payment for its contractor is now being processed, following the approval by the BSP.

Marañon justified the cost of the 24 classrooms, saying it was in preparation for the construction of third and fourth floors in the future.

Marañon said the foundation and columns should be strong enough for a high-rise building, and explained that the P650,000 per classroom standard of the Department of Public Works and Highways is only for a one storey-building.

Any engineer will tell you that the construction of a multi-storey building is expensive, he added.

The P50 million budget for 30 NOHS classrooms is funded from loans of the provincial government from the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Philippine National Bank.

Marañon also said that, aside from improving the quality of education at the historic NOHS, which has produced graduates who have become influential leaders of the country, it is also important to address the need for lack of classrooms.

That project is generational, it’s not only the present crop of students who will benefit from it but also those in the future, he said.

There is no end to government’s obligation to address the needs for classrooms, he said, adding that NOHS is short of 61 classrooms.

The politically motivated delay in the approval of the budget for the NOHS classrooms by some members of the provincial board will be at the expense to the students there, he said.*GPB

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