In a directive to Joselito Cabungcal, officer-in-charge of the City Engineering Department, the mayor said the immediate construction of the Batasan Hills National High School and the Payatas High School in Barangay Payatas A must be given top priority.
The mayor also wants the city engineer to identify other city government-owned land, where a high school building can maximize the resources of the local government to address the lack of classrooms.
"We are going to maximize usage of our facilities," Belmonte said.
The city government has already relocated Batasan Hills squatters, who were blamed for the stalled construction of the high school buildings for several months.
The proposed site of the Payatas High School also faces the same problem after a colony of 300 squatters occupied the area.
The mayor issued the directive after City Schools superintendent Dr. Victoria Fuentes reported that due to lack of classrooms some areas hold classes in two or three shifts.
"There is a need for additional school buildings particularly in District 2, where classroom shortage is being felt significantly," Belmonte said. — Perseus Echeminada