Davao City – President Arroyo has approved and signed into law the creation of eight new national secondary schools in various parts of Mindanao in a move to make basic education more accessible to rural school children in the country’s second biggest island region.

This breakthrough was learned from a Department of Education (DepEd) memorandum issued by Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Franklin C. Sunga who earlier received a formal communication from Joaquin C. Lagonera, senior deputy executive secretary and head of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office informing the DepEd of the signing into law for the creation of the eight new high schools.

Dr. Susana Estigoy, Region 11 office of DepEd director, said that five of the newly established secondary schools are located in Southern Mindanao, two in Zamboanga Peninsula, and one in the Caraga Region.

Estigoy said four of the five newly established secondary schools in Region 11 are situated in the schools division of Davao del Norte.

They are the Semong National High School in Barangay Semong, Kapalong which was created under Republic Act (RA) 9585; Sagayen National High School in Barangay Sagayen, Asuncion under RA 9584; Datu Jose A. Libayao Memorial National High School in Barangay Salawao, Talaingod under RA 9581; and Mesaoy National High School in Barangay Mesaoy, New Corella under RA 9583.

The fifth Southern Mindanao new secondary school, Estigoy said, is the Marayag National High School in Barang mrayag of Lupon town.