The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has launched its newest flagship infrastructure projects on health and education.
PAGCOR chair and chief executive officer Alejandro Tengco announced the details of its new projects during the signing of a joint memorandum circular with its partner agencies, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“In four years, we hope to build at least 1,200 classrooms or about 300 classrooms per year under this new infrastructure push as part of our commitment to nation-building”, Tengco said, adding that they will prioritize far-flung and remote communities.
Aside from the school buildings, Tengco said PAGCOR will also build 200 e-learning centers which will be built in areas with a high concentration of learning institutions.
Each e-learning center will have 48 computer stations with internet connection, making them ideal hubs for online research and even for computer literacy courses.
A third leg of the flagship projects will be health and wellness centers which will feature doctors’ offices and consultation rooms, dental clinics, vaccination rooms, treatment rooms and a multipurpose area.
Tengco said PAGCOR will build at least 100 health centers nationwide to help bring quality care, especially in poor communities.
PAGCOR will likewise build 50 socio-civic Centers which beneficiary local government units can utilize as seminar and training venues as well as for hosting social and community gatherings that could potentially generate revenues.
The multi-purpose centers can also be used as evacuation facilities during calamities and disasters.
“We want these projects to benefit as many Filipinos as possible because we believe that laying the groundwork for a stronger nation is not the sole responsibility of the education sector but should be a collective effort of agencies and organizations”, Tengco said.
Under the memorandum circular, the DPWH will undertake the construction of the new PAGCOR flagship projects, while the DepEd will administer the schools and e-learning centers, including providing teachers and other staff.
DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan and DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara also signed the agreement.
Angara said PAGCOR’s commitment to build more classrooms will be of great help to the education sector.
“Currently, our classroom deficit is at 165,000. Napakalaking bagay po na ang PAGCOR ay magpapatayo ng ilan daang classrooms (It’s a big help that PAGCOR will build hundreds of classroom)”, he said.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa PAGCOR at DPWH (We thank PAGCOR and DPWH) because these projects will definitely improve the learning experience our students”.
Bonoan expressed his appreciation to PAGCOR for its “trust and confidence in DPWH to spearhead the construction school buildings and other facilities in various parts of the country”.
“This is going to be challenging but we are committed to face the challenges and complete these noble undertakings with PAGCOR and DepEd”, he said.
