The said program was attended by the members of the DepEd Executive Committee. At the same time, the Department of Public Works and Highways was represented by Acting Secretary Roger Mercado and Assistant Secretary Antonio Molano.
EDUCATION Secretary Leonor Briones emphasized the necessity of creating more conducive learning spaces during the Launching of the Medium-Rise School Building Designs Exhibit at the Department of Education (DepEd) Central Office.
“I would like to thank our friends and partners who have conceptualized solutions and designs of school buildings, which are appropriate to the call of the times, appropriate for the needs for more space, and greater safety for our learners,” Secretary Briones said.
The Education chief also recognized that there is not much land or property to build more schools in highly urbanized areas. She stressed that mid-rise buildings are the best creative solution that we can adapt to save on space.
“We can be late for many things, but we cannot be late for the future and this effort, responding to the need for space, is a response to the call of the future for space in education, for places for our children to learn and to play,” Briones emphasized.
DepEd proposed varied designs ranging from at least five to 12 floors or even higher, while the number of floors will depend on the classroom needs of the school, the available building space, the type of soil, and the projected enrollment population for the next 15-25 years.
In the exhibit, the Department also highlighted its accomplishments in other flagship projects, such as the Last Mile Schools program and the Gabaldon Heritage School conservation program.