2 more bills establishing schools in Samar pass House fund deliberations

By RICKY J. BAUTISTA
January 8, 2006

CATBALOGAN, Samar – Two more bills on the establishment of national high schools in the province of Samar had passed the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, a report from the congressional office of Rep. Catalino “Cata” Figueroa said Thursday.

The two bills, known as House Bill 3450 (Establishment of San Fernando High School in Basey) and House Bill 4003 (Establishment of Plaridel National High School in Villareal) were approved by Congress in its first reading last December 2005, and committee reports are now being readied for these two bills to have their second and third readings in the plenary, it was learned.

Earlier, Rep. Figueroa has submitted six education-related bills that were also passed in the Congress’s Committee on Appropriations. These were HB 2503 (Conversion of the Osmeña National High School into Osmeña Agro-Industrial High School in Marabut), HB 2506 (Conversion of the Calapi National High School into Calapi National Agricultural High School in Motiong), HB 3151 (Establishment of the Catbalogan National Comprehensive High School), HB 3153 (Conversion of the Magdawat Primary School into Magdawat Elementary School in Pinabacdao), HB 3211 (Establishment of the Silanga National High School in Catbalogan) and HB 3406 otherwise known as the establishment of the Zumarraga National High School in Zumarraga, Samar.

In an exclusive interview, Rep. Figueroa said these bills will benefit most of his constituents in the second district, most especially if funding for these schools will be approved and released to the Department of Education in Samar Division.

“Being a Vice-Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, I will do my very best to get the approval of the funding of these bills, which I authored, because I know these will benefit my poor constituents, especially those who cannot afford the cost of education,” the solon said.

Having been a former teacher and advocate of good education before he turned to politics, Rep. Figueroa said the establishment or conversion of these schools in Samar is a big boast to his constituents, especially the young ones.

“I give importance to education because I know it is a tool to build great citizen in our present generations,” he added.

The solon reiterated that several schools in Samar and other provinces in the region were declared “topnotch” among other schools in the country during the 2005 NSAT examinations.

“It is high time that the government give schools in Samar province the boost that they deserve. (It is by) providing and establishing more schools will augment this good performance of our provincial students,” the solon further said.