Science High gets help from DepEd to pay bills

The Cebu City Schools Division steps in and will pay for the government-run school’s Veco bills today or tomorrow. The Local School Board, though, recommends to school officials to cut down their power consumption.

Tomorrow, June 29, is the last day that Metro Cebu’s power distributor has set for one of Cebu’s most prestigious schools to settle more than P400,000 in overdue bills. With help from the Department of Education, the Cebu City National Science High School is ready to do just that.

With help from the Department of Education (DepEd), the Cebu City National Science High School (CCNSHS) is ready to settle its unpaid bills with the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco), seven days after they were served a disconnection notice.

In an interview, CCNSHS Principal Evelyn Pielago said their bills amounting to more than P400,000 will be settled by the DepEd Cebu City Schools Division Office either today or tomorrow.

“The division office is now preparing the amount because we signed a payslip with them. They are preparing the payment. They promised on the 29th and we are ready,” she told reporters.

Veco has given the school until tomorrow, June 29, to pay their electricity bill. Should they still fail to settle their unpaid balances, Veco will proceed to disconnect CCNSHS’s power line.

In a separate interview, Cebu City Councilor Joy Augustus Young said the division office will pay for the school’s unpaid balances for the past three months.

Young, deputy mayor for education, said the Local School Board (LSB) also laid out four recommendations for CCNSHS during their meeting last Monday.

“First, they have to do remedial measures as I am 101 percent sure that air conditioning units account for at least 50 percent of all the school’s electricity bills. Second, they have to investigate why their consumption is high even during summer break. Third, they must submit a proposal for the LSB to consider paying a portion of the Veco bills of some schools with large power consumption. Lastly, if LSB will pay, it must first have the approval of the Commission on Audit,” he said.

Last Friday night and last Monday night, Young inspected CCNSHS to check if there are any illegal connections, which may have contributed to spike in the school’s power consumption.

“There were no illegal connections but we have identified at least one school nga naay illegal connections at night and this is the Alaska Mambaling Elementary School,” Young said.

They have to do remedial measures as I am 101 percent sure that air conditioning units account for at least 50 percent of all the school’s electricity bills. JOY AUGUSTUS YOUNG Cebu City Councilor