THE CITY government is fast-tracking the documentation to construct more schools and address classroom shortage.
Councilor Petite Principe, chair of the committee on education, said during the Pulong-Pulong sa Dabawenyos on Tuesday, that education is one of the priorities of the administration.
“One of the tasks of the mayor is to help speed up the application for deeds of usufruct between the city and the Department of Education,” Principe said.
She stressed that there are a lot of schools where the title is in the name of the city but no proper documentation.
“Because of incomplete documentation, we cannot erect buildings,” she added.
In October, the city government and DepEd came up with a protocol to fast-track the deeds of usufruct.
Principe clarified that the city has enough funds but these can’t be touched due to lack of proper documents.
The councilor reported that 66 of more than 400 schools in Davao City still have pending usufruct agreements.
At present, the city has a shortage of over 4,000 classrooms, which the city government aims to gradually reduce within the next three years.
The Local School Board has conducted a strategic planning and listed priority areas where school buildings can be erected.
“We really want to come up with buildings in order to address it. Especially in far-flung areas, where we need to build more,”
The city also targets to pilot solar-power projects for schools without electricity, especially in Marilog and Paquibato.
To note, during the inaugural speech of acting mayor Sebastian Duterte, he emphasized the need to address the classroom shortage and investing in the education of children.
Reynante Solitario, Davao City Schools Division Superintendent, said there is a shortage of 4,053 classrooms considering the ratio of 1 room to 30 pupils in the elementary level.
