New school building inaugurated in Maharlika Village in Taguig

Mayor Lani Cayetano recently led the inauguration of a three-storey, nine-classroom school building at the Maharlika Elementary School that is seen to benefit students in the mostly Muslim-populated Maharlika Village in Taguig City.

“This is another testament to our efforts to prioritize the education sector in the formulation of public policy in Taguig. This new school building will definitely help our students by decongesting classes through the augmentation of classrooms,” Mayor Lani said.

“As I always say, we are serious in our objective to empower our students here in Taguig by strengthening the public education system so that they may one day realize their dreams,” Mayor Lani added.

According to Natividad Jimenez, officer-in-charge of Taguig City’s Local School Board (LSB), Maharlika Elementary School used to have only three school buildings housing 24 classrooms.

“Now, there are four school buildings and 33 classrooms all in all,” Jimenez noted.

She disclosed that for this academic year, the school’s enrollment is at 3,221, including those who enrolled in kindergarten classes.

“The nine new classrooms will definitely ease the congestion woes of the school, which as of present implements a two-shift system,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez likewise noted that the Maharlika Elementary School recently received 26 air-conditioning units and one public address (PA) system from the local government of Taguig.

“The students in the school will now enjoy air-conditioned rooms. Together with the new classrooms, learning in Maharlika Elementary School has now been made more comfortable,” Jimenez said.

The city government of Taguig, since Mayor Lani assumed office,  has been investing heavily in education with the recent increase to P300 million of the Lifeline Assistance for Neighbors In-Need or (LANI) Scholarship Program this year.

The city government under Mayor Lani has also made sure that education is free in the public school system. Public school students in Taguig enjoy free head-to-toe school uniforms, shoes and other school supplies.

Also, another 1,000 students from public high schools are set to enjoy benefits under the Taguig Learner’s Certificate (TLC), which allows them to transfer to private schools paid for by the city government of Taguig. This bring to more than 2,000 the number of students under TLC.

The TLC is considered an enhanced version of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASPE), a national government program aimed at decongesting public schools by funding the transfer of students to private schools.

FILIPINO VERSION:

Pinasinayaan kamakailan ni Mayor Lani Cayetano ang 3-storey, 9-classroom school building sa Maharlika Elementary School na pakikinabangan ng mga estudyanteng karamihan ay muslim na residente ng Maharlika Village sa Taguig.

“Ito ay isa pang patunay sa aming pagsisikap na unahin ang sektor ng edukasyon sa pagbuo ng mga polisiya sa Taguig. Ang bagong tayong gusali ay siguradong makatutulong para maibsan ang pagsisiksikan sa pamamagitan ng pagdaragdag ng mga silid aralan,” pahayag ni Mayor Lani.

“Tulad ng parati kong sinasabi, seryoso kami sa aming layunin na bigyan ng lakas ang mga estudyante ng Taguig sa pamamagitan ng pagpapahusay sa sistemang pang edukasyon sa pampublikong paaralan tungo sa pag-abot sa kanilang mga pangarap,” dagdag pa ni Mayor Lani.

Ayon kay Natividad Jimenez, officer-in-charge ng Taguig Local School Board(LSB), dati ay may tatlong gusali lamang na may 24 na silid aralan ang Maharalika Elementary School.

“Ngayon, apat na ang gusali ng paaralan na may kabuuang bilang na 33 silid aralan,” paliwanag ni Jimenez.

Inihayag pa nito na sa kasalukuyang taon, ang bilang ng mga estudyante sa paaralan ay 3,221 kabilang na rito yaong mga nasa kindergarten.

“Ang siyam na bagong silid aralan ay tiyak na makatutulong para solusyunan ang problema ng pagsisiksikan sa paaralan na sa kasalukuyan ay nagpapatupad ng 2-shift system,” pahayag ni Jimenez.

Ibinunyag din ni Jimenez na kamakailan ay  natanggap ng paaralan ang 26 na air-conditioning unit at isang public address (PA) system mula sa lokal na pamahalaan ng Taguig.

“Ang mga estudyante ng paaralan ay mayroon na ngayong air-conditioned na mga kuwarto. Kasama ng mga bagong silid aralan, ang pag-aaral sa Maharlika Elementary School ay mas komportable na,” wika ni Jimenez.

Sapul maluklok sa poder ng kapangyarihan si Mayor Lani ay namuhunan ito nang malaki para mapabuti ang sektor ng edukasyon tulad halimbawa nang gawin nitong P300 million ang pondo ng Lifeline Assistance for Neighbors In-Need Scholarship Program para sa taong kasalukuyan.

Tiniyak din ng pamahalaang lungsod sa ilalim ni Mayor Lani na libre ang edukasyon sa pampublikong paaralan. Sagot ng pamahalaang lungsod ang pangangailangan sa paaralan ng mga estudyante mula ulo hanggang paa tulad ng uniporme, sapatos at iba pang gamit pang-eskwela.

May panibagong sanlibong estudyante mula sa mga public high school ang makikinabang sa Taguig Learner’s Certificate (TLC), na ililipat sa mga private high school na sasagutin ng pamahalaang lokal ng Taguig ang matrikula at allowance. Dahil dito ay umabot na sa mahigit 2,000 ang bilang ng mga estudyante sa ilalim ng TLC.

Ang TLC ay ikinukunsidera bilang pinahusay na bersyon ng Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASPE) ng Department of Education (DEPED) na may layuning maibsan ang pagsisiksikan ng mga estudyante sa public school sa pamamagitan ng paglilipat sa mga ito sa pribadong paaralan.