Despite the pandemic, Valenzuela City Mayor REX Gatchalian remains committed to the City’s education program with the building of new and better school infrastructure, hopeful to welcome students back to school in the future.  

Mayor REX also leads the inauguration and blessing ceremonies of the new campus of Lawang Bato National High School in Barangay Lawang Bato this January 20, capping the local chief executive’s three-day Birthday Serbisyo Activities this year.

The new campus houses three (3) four-storey buildings with a total of 44 classrooms.

“These projects are developmental in nature. We believe that despite the ongoing pandemic we have to continue to invest in the city's education program with the end sight of kids coming back to school in the near future,” Mayor REX shares.

In addition, Mayor REX also acknowledges the importance of having a healthy learning environment for Valenzuelano students, shifting from integrated schools to having schools dedicated for elementary students only and a separate public high school.

Lawang Bato National High School’s new campus will now be catering only to high school students and the old building will be for elementary students only.

“Dati, uso ang integrated school pero hindi na healthy [iyon] ngayon dahil ang layo ng mga edad nila. Lumalabas ang problema ng bullying [at] natuturuan ang mga bata ng mga bisyo ng mas nakatatandang mga estudyante. Sa Valenzuela, ito na lamang sa Lawang Bato ang campus [na] integrated. Hindi siya ideal na learning environment,” Mayor REX added.

The City Mayor also encourages teachers to look forward to the comeback of normal classes with the hopes that the pandemic will soon end.

Deputy Speaker and District 1 Congressman WES Gatchalian also opens a multi-purpose building for the new public high school and promises to allocate another PhP 2 million for additional facilities.

Also gracing the inauguration and blessing ceremonies of the new campus of Lawang Bato National High School were District 1 Councilor Rovin Feliciano, Congressman WES Gatchalian, Department of Education (DepEd) Valenzuela School Superintendent Dr. Meliton Zurbano, and barangay officials.