ARMM readies P1-B school buildings for SHS

MALUSO, Basilan, Philippines — More than 100,000 high school completers in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao  are assured of continuing into senior high school under the K-12 curriculum as the ARMM has been putting up new school buildings worth over P1 billion in time for the school opening this June.

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman made the assurance Monday that no high school completers would be left behind as he led the inauguration of all the completed school buildings.

As of Tuesday, Hataman has turned over seven new school buildings in the towns of Maluso, Matarling, Lanatawan, Tuburan and Lamitan City.

The school buildings for the ARMM are 70 percent complete and the facilities can be used in time for the opening of classes.

“We hope this will be used next month. This is to ensure the continuous schooling of the high school completers,” Hataman said.

Students, especially those in far-flung and impoverish towns will no longer be displaced, Hataman said. 

In Tipo-Tipo town, they have set up an extension college for agri-fishery those who have been affected by the onslaught of the coconut insect or locally known as “cocolisap” which has destroyed around a million coconut trees, Hataman added.

Parents will no longer be burdened with sending their students to schools in other cities.

ARMM Public Works Secretary Don Loong said for the entire Muslim region, they have established 167 new school buildings with a total of 816 classrooms.

Hataman said they were hiring 300 teachers.

At least 400 teachers are needed in Basilan alone.