Manila breaks ground on modernized public schools
We want to empower the public education system via good facilities and an environment that is conducive to studying by putting in all the necessary ingredients
As part of his plan to modernize the city’s public schools, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso led city officials in the groundbreaking for the 10-story Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Tondo in an attempt to raise it to the level of private schools. With him were Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, Division of City Schools Superintendent Magdalena Lim, school principal Graciano Budoy, City Engineer Armand Andres and City Architect Pepito Balmoris.
It was the school where Domagoso completed elementary education 33 years ago.
The Manila mayor said that as a 100 percent product of the public school system, he knows exactly how to bridge the gap between public and private schools so that less-privileged students may be able to enjoy what those in private schools experience.
Lacuna, in her speech, commented the project simply shows the mayor knows how to look back to his roots and has genuine concern for public school students.
Under the plan, the new10-story Rosauro Almario Elementary School will be fully-airconditioned, complete with 227 spacious classrooms, 12 offices, a library, canteen, auditorium, gymnasium, outdoor basketball court with retractable goal that may be converted into a football field, stairs node, a roof-deck outdoor sport and exercise area and elevator units good for 24 persons each.
The city had allotted around P1.9 billion for the school’s construction, P2 billion for the Dr. Alejandro Albert Elementary School and P1.3 billion for the construction of the Manila Science High School.
“We want to empower the public education system via good facilities and an environment that is conducive to studying by putting in all the necessary ingredients,” Domagoso said.
He said he would want Tondo students to experience what he did not experience in his younger years and what his children are fortunately able to enjoy in private schools, now that he can afford to send them there.
He said if he ordered a lockdown, more people would be affected by it.
Meanwhile, Domagoso bared that, although there is now a recorded local case of the coronavirus Delta variant in Manila, he had no plan yet of imposing lockdowns.
The mayor issued the statement following inquiries whether he is mulling to impose a local lockdown after Department of Health data indicated the Delta variant has reached Pandacan.
He said residents should not be worried because the city government has no plans yet of ordering lockdowns, but admitted contract tracing is now on full alert.
He said if he ordered a lockdown, more people would be affected by it, such as workers and businesses, and more will go hungry.
Instead of a lockdown, the mayor added he will push for mass Covid-19 vaccination to protect the people against the virus.