ZAMBOANGA CITY—The number of public high schools in this highly urbanized city increased to 32 after three more were added through the initiative of Rep. Celso Lobregat.
Lobregat said the three bills he earlier filed in the Lower House during the 14th congress were later approved by the House Committee on Basic Education chaired by Rep. Kimi Cojuangco and the Senate committee on education, arts and culture headed by Senator Pia Cayetano, and finally signed into law by then President Benigno Aquino III.
Enacted into law on May 11, 2016, Lobregat said, was Republic Act No. 10835, converting Barangay Tulungatung National High School into an independent school. It was previously annexed to Ayala NHS.
Pasonanca National High School, formerly annexed to Don Pablo Lorenzo Memorial NHS, also became independent institution via RA No. 10836, while RA No. 10812 established San Roque National High School into a new learning center.
The Zamboanga solon thanked Aquino, Cojuangco and Cayetano for their support for thousands of rural high school students and their farmer parents.
A few years ago, Lobregat also authored five similar measures which created as many local independent national Schools enabling the city to accommodate its fast rising number of rural and urban high school students.