Negros city high school gets P90-M boost for classroom expansion
Negros Occidental second district Rep. Alfredo “Thirdy” Marañon III (third from left), and Mayor Leo Rafael Cueva (left) led the groundbreaking for the P90-million three-story 18-classroom building in Sagay National High School (SNHS) in Sagay City on Thursday, August 13, in partnership with the Okada Foundation Inc. (I Love Sagay)
BACOLOD CITY - The city government of Sagay in Negros Occidental is expanding the learning facilities at Sagay National High School (SNHS) through a P90-million three-story building that will feature 18 classrooms.
Second District Rep. Alfredo Marañon III led the groundbreaking ceremony for the project on Thursday, August 13, in partnership with the Okada Foundation Inc.
The building is expected to be completed within a year and will help address the school’s problem of classroom shortage, including the 12 sections currently using temporary facilities.
Marañon said the project stemmed from discussions with the Okada Foundation, whose president visited Sagay City and inspected the proposed site about two years ago.
He said the new facility is a welcome development for SNHS, the city’s central high school, which also needs additional spaces for workshops and programs in arts, theater, music, sports, and other fields.
SNHS Principal Jerson Donasco expressed hope that students currently attending classes in makeshift classrooms will soon transfer to the new building.
He thanked the city government, Department of Education (DepEd), and the Okada Foundation for supporting the long-awaited project.
Schools Division Officer-in-Charge Dannie Clark Uguil said the building will not only ease the classroom shortage but also provide learners with a space to pursue their interests and aspirations.
Mayor Leo Rafael Cueva said the school’s growing enrollment reflects the families’ confidence in its education programs but also underscores the need for continued investment in facilities.
He thanked Marañon for helping secure the partnership with the Okada Foundation and expressed hope that construction will remain on schedule so students can use the classrooms by next school year.
Councilor Benson Fernandez, representing Vice Mayor Narciso Javelosa Jr., noted that SNHS also serves students from neighboring Escalante City and Toboso in Negros Occidental, and offers specialized programs such as the Special Program in Sports.
The city also turned over 246 lapel pins from the Schools Division of Sagay City to SNHS junior and senior high school teachers during the ceremony.