Cebu’s National Science High School lacks funds to pay for electricity
THE CEBU CITY National Science High School (CCNSHS) upgraded its facilities to cater to the demands of the implementation of the K-12 program. But technology needs electricity and the school does not have enough money to pay for its ballooning power consumption. Last June 19, the school’s principal, Dr. Evelyn R. Pielago, told Councilor Joy Augustus G. Young that the school owes the Visayan Electric Company, Inc. P369,984.23. “Our electrical consumption increases… for the past years,” Ms. Pielago said. She noted that the school, with more than 900 students in junior and senior high school, only has a P95,000 budget for maintenance and other operating expenses, which covers janitorial services, utilities, internet connection, office supplies, and trainings and seminars for teachers, among others. Mr. Young, for his part, said the city is willing to help and in fact used to subsidize the school’s electricity bill. However, this was stopped after the Commission on Audit questioned the expense. The councilor said the situation at CCNSHS should be a wake-up call for the Department of Education, which implemented the K-12 program despite the lack of budget and classrooms, among others. —