Zarraga school marks centennial with PHP 10.8-million classroom boost

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Zarraga Central Elementary School marked its 100th founding anniversary on June 22 with the inauguration of a new five-classroom building that will give young learners safer and improved learning spaces after years of classroom shortages and structural concerns.

The PHP 10.8 million facility, funded by the Iloilo provincial government through its education infrastructure program, was inaugurated by Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. alongside local and education officials during the centennial celebration.

The newly completed building provides three classrooms for Grade 1 pupils and two classrooms for kindergarten learners.

It replaces several old structures that the Department of Education had declared unsafe because of deteriorating conditions.

School officials said the project addresses long-standing infrastructure gaps at the institution, where a significant number of classrooms had been deemed unfit for use.

Of the school’s 52 classrooms, 25 were condemned, while six had been vacated and three had been demolished because of safety concerns.

The new facility is equipped with ceiling fans and solar panels, which are intended to improve ventilation and provide backup power during interruptions, particularly in extreme weather conditions.

School Principal II Leonardo Martinete Sr. said the new classrooms are expected to significantly improve the learning environment for early-grade pupils, noting that overcrowding and unsafe rooms had long affected classroom instruction.

More than 1,000 students enrolled at the school are expected to benefit from the new facilities.

The inauguration was attended by Zarraga Mayor Jeffrey Silveo, Vice Mayor Laurence John Sortigosa, DepEd Iloilo Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Lunie Sampani, and members of the Sangguniang Bayan.

The project is part of the provincial government’s Bulig Eskwela sang Probinsya program, or BES Probins, which focuses on addressing classroom shortages and upgrading public school infrastructure across Iloilo.

Defensor underscored his administration’s continued focus on education infrastructure.

“We want to continue building good classrooms. Because there is nothing more important than providing classrooms for our learners,” Defensor said.