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ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, June 17, 2022 – The Department of Education (DepEd) Region 9 reported on Wednesday an overall and near completion of programs and other projects for Calendar Year 2016-2021 during its 5th Management Committee Meeting.

“Ang dami na nating nagawa, pero ang dami pa ring dapat gawin. We plan to give birth to more projects and watch them breed each day, and all proposed changes could not happen within six years. We cannot deny that we have come a long way,” Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del Pascua said.

During the interface meeting of School Division Superintendents (SDS) and Assistant SDSs, Education Support Services Chief Sheila Rose Apiag stressed that Zamboanga Peninsula Region has achieved 100% completion for the repair, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of classrooms, restoration of Gabaldon Buildings, and the repair/conversion of classrooms to dental clinics under the Basic Education Facilities Funding.

“This is a momentous day not only that we are transitioning from the previous to the new administration, but we are transitioning and continuing to ensure the safety of face to face classes,” Regional Director Ruth L. Fuentes said.

For the electrification and modernization of electrical systems in on-grid schools, the region has largely fulfilled near 100% completion rates from 2017 to 2020.

In addition, the region disclosed that the Last Mile Schools Program in Public Elementary and Junior High Schools for 2020 have been substantially completed with at least 80% accomplishment rate for five schools, namely, Lampinigan National High School, Isabela City; Camp Socorro, Zamboanga City; Sitog National High School Extension, Zamboanga Del Norte; Bag-ong Mandaue Indigenous Peoples School, Zamboanga Del Sur; and San Jose Primary School, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Coincidentally, Undersecretary Pascua visited Sitog National High School – Dabiak Extension, a school developed under the Last Mile Schools Program in Dabiak, Katipunan in the Schools Division Office – Zamboanga Del Norte. The said school had its groundbreaking ceremony last September 2021 and was newly completed and turned over by March 25, 2022.

Among the other topics shared during the presentation are the statuses and accomplishments under the School Health and Nutrition (OK sa DepEd Programs), Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM), Youth Formation Programs, vaccination status/rate, and participating schools, learners, and personnel in face to face classes.

Led by the Schools Division Office – Zamboanga Del Norte, the Fifth Regional Management Committee meeting was also joined by Officer-in-charge (OIC) Assistant Regional Director Dr. Melchor Natividad, SDS Virgilio Batan, Jr., and other officials of DepEd and the Local Government Unit.

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