President Marcos has tasked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to reconstruct the school building hit by fire in Quezon City last Sunday, June 15.

Marcos said the reconstruction of the building will also include an upgrade, making the two-storey fire-damaged building in San Francisco High School (SFHS) a four-storey structure.

“I have instructed the Public Works— The Department of Public works and Highways— na tingnan nila (to check) and how long it will take for them to rebuild it,” Marcos said after inspecting the fire-hit building on Wednesday, June 18.

“Ang plano yata, itong two storeys, gagawing four storeys para yung ibang facilities na kailangan (The plan is to make this two-storey building to a four-storey one to house the other facilities) so in a way that is an opportunity for us to upgrade the building),” Marcos added.

The President noted that the fire was due to an electrical fault, which prompted him to also order an inspection to other schools to check their facilities if there are possible overloading and if their electrical systems remain safe.

“Yung sa electrical kinakargahan natin ng computer, ng bagong fan, yung iba aircon, kaya talagang overloaded na kaya nagkakaganito. Kaya siguro we have to look at the other schools also at tiyakin at the very least may magandang fuse box para di makapag overload sa ating electrical systems (The electrical was already loaded with computers, new fans, aircons, causing it to be overloaded. So, perhaps we have to look at the other schools also and ensure that at the very least, they have a good fuse box to avoid overloading our electrical systems),” Marcos said.

The Chief Executive also said that the burnt school equipment will also be replaced.

The fire, which happened a day before classes resumed, destroyed 10 classrooms, displacing 720 students and causing an estimated P3 million in damages. Losses included furniture, equipment and learning materials.

Classes have since resumed at a temporary location in DepEd Building A.

According to Malacañang, the private sector will help to replace the damaged equipment while the Quezon City government deployed personnel and supplies, with surplus resources from nearby public schools also aiding in recovery.  

The Department of Education (DepEd) has allocated P100,000 for immediate needs.

“We have to just keep on going to continue to make sure the children now are able to attend class and the teachers have what they want. Yung mga nasirang gamit (The damaged equipment), we will replace it; school supplies, of not only the children but also the teachers,” Marcos said.

So we have to replace that otherwise the teachers cannot do their job, he added.

San Francisco High School is one of Quezon City’s largest public high school with more than 7,300 enrolled students and 330 teaching and non-teaching personnel.