Like a father to his children, Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada on Monday reassured thousands of public school students in the city that he will continue to provide them with everything they need in school, such as new equipment and classrooms.
Speaking before the students and faculty of Pres. Corazon Aquino High School at the Baseco Compound in the first day of classes this morning, the mayor said he only wants the best for the schoolchildren of Manila, whom he described as “the city’s next generation of leaders.”
“Because I am the mayor, and therefore like a second father to you, I want to make sure that you have everything you need here in your school,” Estrada said. “I want to make sure that you are safe, secure, and comfortable in your buildings and classrooms, and in the entire campus.”
“We will buy additional equipment, including computers, to make your learning experience more enjoyable. We still have a lot of projects for your school, and other schools in the city,” Estrada added.
As an extra bonus, Estrada said he will also provide a shuttle bus to the students of Pres. Corazon Aquino High School, most of whom are residents of the impoverished Baseco Compound.
After the flag ceremony, Estrada led the inauguration of a new three-storey school building in the campus, which cost around P62 million.
Estrada told the schoolchildren that the city government’s only wish is for them to be good in their studies. “Study hard and learn your lessons well. It’s okay to play, but studying must be prioritized. Is that okay?” asked Estrada.
Addressing the teachers and school officials, the mayor reminded them that “I am always here to listen to you and hear what you have to say.”
Education Secretary Leonor Briones, who graced the inauguration ceremonies, praised Estrada for his support to the education sector, especially in addressing the perennial problem on classroom shortage.
She stressed the additional classrooms built by Estrada would mean so much to some students who came from conflict-stricken Marawi City and transferred in Manila to study.
“We welcome all of them here in the City of Manila… because it is our duty and mandate to give education to all children of school age regardless of where they come from, regardless of their religion and political beliefs,” Briones said.
Education is one of Estrada’s priority programs. He has allocated almost P2 billion to the city’s Special Educational Fund to finance the construction of additional school infrastructure and related programs.
In 2016 alone, Estrada’s administration constructed and repaired 45 school buildings in various public elementary and secondary schools in the city totaling P2.54 billion, to further improve the quality of education being given to poor students.
Of these projects, 13 were new school buildings worth a total of P828.23 million. The rest were repair and rehabilitation works worth P1.72 billion, according to the Office of the City Engineer.
In 2015, the mayor’s leadership also completed 44 school infrastructure projects – 32 of which have been completed – with a total project cost of P1.49 billion.
For the two-year period, the city government completed 87 school building projects with total project costs of P4.03 billion.