THE DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways has finished the construction of the two-story building of the Gatol High School in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro.

The P24-million project has eight classrooms for at least 161 high school students from the villages of San Roque, Benli, and Nasucob.

DPWH–Mimaropa Director Gerald Pacanan said that the building of additional classrooms was necessary to increase the educational interest of the youth.

“[It] will promote social activities, bridge gaps, and eventually decrease poverty in the long run,” he added.

The Department of Education earlier admitted that the big classroom shortage is one of the biggest challenges it faces. Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said that they were searching for funding outside of the national budget to address the more than 165,000 classroom backlog nationwide.