Iloilo City Opens Two New ‘Uswag’ School Buildings

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By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

As part of its continued commitment to public education, the Iloilo City government has turned over two newly completed “Uswag” school buildings.

The new facilities include a four-story, 12-classroom building at Tabucan Elementary School and a two-story, 10-classroom building at Baluarte Elementary School.

The projects were funded through the Special Education Fund, which comes from 1% of the city’s real property tax collections.

Construction for both buildings began in 2023, according to the city government.

“The Iloilo City government goes beyond just building classrooms,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.

“We continue to support our schools by shouldering costs for electricity, water, internet, utility workers, and city-paid teachers.”

Treñas emphasized that investing in education reflects the city’s commitment to investing in its future.

The two new school buildings are part of the city’s Uswag infrastructure program to modernize public education facilities.

Other completed structures include a two-story, six-classroom building at A. Celis Memorial School and a three-story, 12-classroom building at Jalandoni Memorial Elementary School.

Jalandoni Memorial National High School also received two new buildings: a two-story, 10-classroom facility and a two-story, eight-classroom facility.

Additional facilities include a four-story, eight-classroom building at ALS, ICNHS in Molo, and two buildings at TCT-ARFIS in Lanit: a three-story, 30-classroom structure and a two-story, eight-classroom structure.

The city government said construction is ongoing on several new buildings, including a four-story, 16-classroom building at La Paz National High School and new facilities at Nabitasan and Hibao-an Integrated Schools.

To date, the city has allocated over PHP700 million for Uswag school buildings as part of its sustained investment in modern, safe and accessible educational infrastructure.