SURIGAO CITY, Philippines – The severe shortage of class rooms in Surigao del Norte is expected to be solved before the end of this year after the government acted swiftly to address the problem by constructing P53 million worth of school buildings.

It was learned that classrooms of these school buildings will be equipped with rainwater tank to ensure sufficient supply of water for the toilets and kitchens.

Of the P53 million funding, the P48 million will be used for the construction of school buildings for the three Department of Education (DepEd) divisions, namely Siargao Island, Surigao City, and Surigao del Norte divisions, while P5 million will be used for the Siargao Science High School in Dapa, Siargao Island.

This development came out after DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro and Surigao del Norte Gov. Sol F. Matugas signed on Tuesday a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the construction of the school facilities.

The MoA signing was also witnessed by Rep. Francisco T. Matugas (1st District, Surigao del Norte).

The governor expressed her heartfelt gratitude to President Aquino’s education assistance to the province, and also extended her thanks to her husband Congressman Matugas, and Rep. Guillermo Romarate Jr. for extending their help in following up the needs for the construction of more school buildings in the province.

“This is really a big relief and this is a big help to our education program in the province,” added the governor.

In another development, more than 200,000 of city’s inhabitants started to enjoy the newly inaugurated P45 million environment-friendly Waste Treatment Facility (WTF) in Barangay Cagniog here.

City Mayor Ernesto T. Matugas said the opening of the WTF marked an important event in the history of Surigao because it symbolized the beginning of an environment-friendly disposal of waste, in accordance with ecological standards of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and in compliance with the provisions of Republic Act 9003.

The city mayor said the technical and financial assistance was extended by the Swedish government and Mr. Gunner Kassberg, the technical consultant of the project from Germany.

The WTF is equipped with a conveyor machine that transports waste from the sorting area to the landfill, while being further segregated for saleable/recyclable trash simultaneously by collectors or so-called “biomen.”

The first of its kind in the entire Caraga Region and the most advanced in Mindanao, the new WTF covers a vast area of approximately 10 hectares.