CEMENTING a strong educational foundation for the next three years, local officials here have gained step one, pushed by the common desire to uplift the life of the people and transform Catigbian into a green haven of peace, progress and development.
In this line, the local government officials led by Mayor Roberto Salinas and Vice Mayor Niceta Digaum were just too happy to announce the town’s acquisition of a 4.2 hectare lot in Barangay Haguilanan.
As this happens, the highlight would be good news as the town prepares for the Katigbawan Festival, a jubilee timed for Catigbian Foundation Days this week.
Mayor Salinas, through a text message said, a hectare of the lot would be donated to the Department of Education (Dep-ED) for the construction of a school building as an annex to the Catigbian National High School (CNHS).
The lot, situated along the national road was acquired at the measly cost of P700,000.
The latest acquisition has raised the town’s land assets to 11 hectares.
Aside from assets it acquired in the past, the town was also able to get 3.2 hectares farm, upon where now occupies the town’s demonstration farm in Poblacion. Interestingly, the same investment again allows access to informal education to its farmers and younger generation of leaders.
The Catigbian officials’ action to put up the CNHS annex building was also seen as a pro-active step. Parents have raised alarm over evaluations that the school is not that safe after all.
CNHS sits atop a cave, according to Dep-ed reports.
Now with an increasing number of student population, local officials have decided it as an imperative to be decongested and an annex be relocated at the new site.
As for the remaining 3.2 hectares, Salinas said it would allow the local government unit a wider room for future developments.
Part of the plan, according to the two-term mayor, is to put up a dairy farm, an eco park with a wildlife sanctuary.
He also admitted the town leaders have been contemplating putting up socialized housing in tandem with gawad kalinga, if their local funds warrant it.
If such a plan materializes, Catigbian would again trail-blaze in socialized benefits, which a lot more wealthier local government units in Bohol have not dared think about.
Based on Catigbian’s Executive Legislative Agenda for 2007-2010, leaders have also identified a P2.5M investment in education for the next three years.
Aside from the CHNS annex building construction, they also press for the repair of more school buildings, construction of two more computer rooms, establishment of more pre-schools in 6 barangays and proposed for a program for out of school youth development trainings. (rachiu/PIA)