New public high school to rise in GenSan

By Ian John M. Lagare

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (20 March 2014) - A new government-funded high school is set to rise in General Santos City.

This is after the city government donated a 1.3-hectare land at Barangay Calumpang to the Department of Education (DepEd) -GenSan to be the site for a new public high school in the city. 

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera signed the deed of donation on March 12.

Witnessing the event were DepEd Schools Division Superintendent Gildo Mosqueda, Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Mario Bermudez, DepEd GenSan division supervisors and City Housing and Land Management Office head Mary Ann Bacar

Also present to witness the signing were Barangay Calumpang Chairman Reynaldo Salubre and students, faculty and staff of General Santos City National High School (GSCNHS).

The new school will be constructed at Opring Village, Barangay Calumpang in a land formerly owned by the Cahilsot family and has been purchased by the city government for P4.9 million.

The new school will be named as the Calumpang National High School, an annex of GSCNHS

ASDS Bermudez disclosed that the DepEd  has allocated P9.5 million for the construction of  two- storey building in the said area. One building will be consisting of four classrooms.

Bermudez said that the DepEd GenSan is just waiting for a resolution coming from the Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP) that authorizes Mayor Rivera to donate the land before they begin the immediate construction of the school buildings.

Bermudez said that the new school’s target is to accommodate as much as 1,000 students. 

During the event, Mayor Rivera bared his educational programs such as the implementation of Early Childhood Care and Development Initiative (ECCDI) to daycare centers; the Community Teach of Alay sa Kabataang Generals Lahat ng Alaga at Talino (AKLAT) Office; the incoming Project 100 which will aim to erect 152 classrooms in the city; the launching of the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) Jobs Fair in partnership with Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); the collaboration with Small and Medium Enterprises Development Council for the Entrepreneurship Program for high school students; and his own PTA and Armchair Donation programs. 

SDS Gildo Mosqueda said "it will be great help for the DepEd GenSan in investing in quality learning system in the public schools of the city." (GENSAN INFO OFFICE/Ian John M. Lagare)