The Department of Education (DepEd) in Dumaguete City is adopting the enhanced curriculum for the newly-inaugurated Calenica Gono Pal Technical-Vocational School, an official said June 26.
The school located in Barangay Balugo is the first “stand-alone” senior high school in Negros Oriental, Dr. Juditha Mapue, DepEd-Dumaguete Division assistant schools superintendent, said.
Mapue told the Philippine News Agency that a “stand-alone” school means that it only caters to the last two tiers of senior high.
“It is just a school for Grades 11 and 12, as all the other senior high schools are within a secondary school, meaning, they can be found on the same campus that also has Grades 7 to 10,” she said.
The Calenica Gono Pal Technical-Vocational School initially has enrollees coming from the Piapi High School, Junob High School, and Taclobo High School, who want to enroll in the specialization offered by DepEd.
It also accepts enrollees from outside Dumaguete, such as in nearby Bacong town and even from Siquijor province.
The tech-voc specialization offered by the school includes dressmaking, shielded metal arc work (welding), electrical installation, domestic refrigeration, and air conditioning, Mapue said.
She said an enhanced senior high school curriculum means fewer subjects to give the learners more time for immersion in the specialization of their choice, as the previous SHS was “quite congested”.
Currently, the new school has 120 learners for both grades 11 and 12 as only the second floor is utilized pending the completion of the first floor.
Mapue said they expect more enrollees.
The school was officially blessed and inaugurated June 25 with key DepEd officials, Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo, and the heirs of Calenica Gono Pal, whose family donated the one-hectare lot, in attendance.
Remollo commended the Gono Pal family, who honored the memory of their patriarch, Dr. Agaton Pal, a pillar and firm believer in public education, by donating a lot devoted for the education of the young so they can have a better future by learning the skills that are relevant and responsive to the demands of the job market, the city said in a press release.
The building was initially granted P25 million, and an additional allocation of P7.5 million to complete the whole school building with facilities to fully accommodate the projected increase of enrollees in the coming years.
Serafin III Fariñas, who represented DepEd Negros Island Region director Ramir Uytico, also expressed the gratitude of the department to the Gono Pal family for donating the land, and the LGU-Dumaguete in the construction of the school building.
He assured the teachers of his support so they will be inspired in performing their tasks of educating the learners and acquiring diverse skills, giving them more employment opportunities and livelihood.
The DepEd-NIR Office is also located inside the donated lot.
The first school head, Luisito Mapue, and assistant principal Ruth Carlon, lead the 10-strong faculty of the Calenica Gono Pal Technical Vocational School as they welcome the pioneering batch of senior high school students, the city added. ||
