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CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City may soon bid farewell to the decades-old practice of holding night classes in public schools as the city government moves to address classroom shortages through the construction of new school buildings.
City officials announced on April 21 that at least seven new school buildings are in the pipeline for various public schools across the city.
This is expected to significantly ease classroom congestion, which for years has forced some schools to split schedules, with elementary students attending classes in the morning and high school students occupying the same classrooms at night.
“It has long been a concern, especially as the student population continues to rise every year. Some schools have no choice but to share facilities — elementary classes in the morning, high school classes at night. The mayor wants to eliminate this system and ensure that students can attend school during the day, when it is safer and more ideal for learning,” said Lawyer John Jigo Dacua, head of the Office of the City Superintendent of Schools, in an interview.
READ: Garcia defends big-ticket projects: ‘These are still plans’
Dacua confirmed that night classes had become a stopgap measure for many schools struggling to accommodate students, especially in areas where population growth had outpaced infrastructure development.
Schools like San Jose Elementary School, Cebu City National High School, Labangon Elementary School, San Nicolas Elementary School, Tisa II Elementary School, Hipodromo Elementary School, and Pit-os Elementary School are among those set to benefit from the upcoming projects.
To close the gap, Dacua said the local government had set aside P50 million per building, funded through the Special Education Fund (SEF), which would account for one percent of real property tax collections.
Five buildings have already been bid out, while the remaining two are now in the early stages of procurement.
READ: Cebu City Hall move to SRP: Garcia eyes P500M budget
New facilities
Each new four-story building will house 20 classrooms and will be designed to accommodate up to 900 students. According to Dacua, this could reduce the need for students to transfer to far-flung barangays just to have access to education.
“Imagine if we can continue building every year — more students will have easier access to schools near their homes, and parents will no longer have to send their children to distant barangays. That means fewer risks and less inconvenience for families,” Dacua said.
The city’s long-term goal, Dacua emphasized, would not only to eliminate the night school setup but to improve the overall learning environment by easing overcrowding and ensuring a better teacher-to-student ratio.
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“The ideal teacher-to-student ratio is 1:25. Right now, many classrooms are running at 1:45. If this continues, the quality of education will suffer. These new classrooms will help bridge that gap,” he added.
Space shortage still a challenge in some barangays
While the construction of new school buildings would be expected to ease congestion in many areas, Dacua acknowledged that some barangays would face additional challenges due to a lack of available space for new construction.
“In Lahug, for example, the school is running out of space. Even if you have funding, you still need to find a suitable lot for expansion — and land acquisition is very expensive. That’s the challenge we are working on with the city,” Dacua said.
Safety and accessibility
Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, during a separate press conference on Monday, stressed that expanding school infrastructure would be part of his administration’s commitment to place education at the forefront of local governance.
“In the past three years, the previous administration managed to build only two new school buildings. When I saw that, I asked the local school board to prioritize this issue,” Garcia said.
The mayor noted that the night school system, introduced years ago as a temporary solution during the administration of former mayor Tomas Osmeña, had persisted due to the chronic shortage of classrooms.
“Eventually, we want all students to study during the day. It’s safer, and it allows them to get home earlier, especially those from remote barangays,” Garcia said. “That’s the direction we are headed.”
Modern and disaster-ready school buildings
The proposed buildings, presented during the Local School Board’s meeting, were designed not only for capacity but also for safety, sustainability, and accessibility.
Each structure will feature five classrooms per floor, each measuring 83 square meters, with common male and female toilets on every level. Spacious corridors and staircases will ensure safe and easy evacuation during emergencies.
The roof deck will be designed as a multipurpose space for school activities, while jalousie windows will be installed to maximize natural ventilation and airflow.
The buildings will also be equipped with accessibility ramps for persons with disabilities, overhead water tanks, cisterns, automated sprinkler systems, and fire tanks for fire safety.
In a bid to cut down on electricity costs, which currently run as high as P70 million annually for public schools, the new buildings will also be fitted with solar panel systems, Garcia added.
“The vision is to create schools that are not only safe and comfortable but also cost-efficient and sustainable,” Garcia said.
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