DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 15 June) – President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed on Wednesday laws creating eight new secondary schools and making five annex or extension campuses as independent secondary schools.
Six of the eight new schools and four of the five newly separated schools are in Mindanao.
In Mindanao, the new secondary schools are Digon National High School in Barangay Digon, Margosatubig, Zamboanga del Sur; Magdug National High School in Barangay Magdug, Governor Generoso, Corporacion National High School in Barangay Corporacion, Lupon, and Talisay National High School in Barangay Talisay, San Isidro, all in Davao Oriental; Mt. Apo National High School in Barangay Sibulan and Catigan National High School in Barangay Catigan, Toril District, Davao City.
The government will also establish Balanga City National Science High School in Barangay Bagumbayan, Balanga City and Lingunan National High School in Barangay Lingunan, Valenzuela City.
The newly-separated extension or annex campuses in Mindanao will be known as Benjamin Velasco Bautista Sr. National High School in Barangay Mana, Malita, Luisa Joyce Mallari National High School in Barangay Lapuan, Don Marcelino, both in Davao Occidental; Pianon National High School in Barangay Pianon, Kalawit and Patawag National High School in Barangay Patawag, Liloy, both in Zamboanga del Norte.
The other converted annex campus is Biga National High School in Barangay Dupligan, Tanudan, Kalinga province in Luzon.
The laws require the Department of Education to include in its program the operationalization of the new schools, the funding for which will be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Meanwhile, the initial funding for the newly separated schools will be taken from their current year’s appropriation and the budget for their continued operation will be included in the GAA.
The President also signed laws converting Licop Elementary School in Sitio Licop, Barangay Sainz, Mati City, Davao Oriental into the Licop Integrated School, and integrating Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology Campus Learning Site in Cawayan. Masbate, as a regular campus of the Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology.
It shall be known as the Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology – Cawayan Campus. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)