Valenzuela expands academic center project

ASPIRING to be recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) as the first Philippine Creative City for Literature, Valenzuela City broke ground for three more Valenzuela City Academic Center for Excellence (ValACE) building projects.

Mayor Weslie “Wes” Gatchalian said the city government will allocate P230 million for the three ValACE projects located in Barangay Gen. T. de Leon, Barangay Marulas and Barangay Mapulang Lupa.

“The city government would also like to thank Senator Sherwin ‘Win’ Gatchalian because he also promised to help finance the construction of the three ValACE building projects,” the mayor told reporters during the groundbreaking and capsule-laying ceremonies held over the weekend in Mapulang Lupa.

The buildings will have a mini library, a study hall with selfstudy cubicles and a communal review lounge, a computer laboratory, 50-seating capacity training rooms, an 80-100 person capacity multipurpose hall, a cafeteria, an administrative office, and a parking area.

Following the design and purpose of the first and awardwinning ValACE in Barangay Malinta, the project of expanding ValACE buildings across the city is a response to the city’s growing demand for more public learning facilities, Gatchalian said.

“In fact, the city library garnered a total of 440,883 library-goers from in and out of the city last 2023 — this has sparked the motivation for establishing more libraries in local communities for immediately accessible learning space,” he said.

Gatchalian said he envisions Valenzuela as a city that promotes the love of learning, especially among the youth.

“The local government and its constituents work hand-in-hand in building up the library and spreading these learner-friendly spaces; with an aspiration of someday becoming a Unesco Creative City for Literature,” he said.

The first ValACE has been recognized by the National Library of the Philippines.

Continuously offering educational programs and services alongside its library resources, the ValACE-Malinta, located on A. Pablo Street corner MacArthur Highway, is open to the public from Mondays to Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Gatchalian called on neighboring cities in Metro Manila to establish more youth-focused libraries in their communities.