The city government is planning to relocate two public elementary schools located along the national highway in Barangays San Pedro and San Miguel as a measure to ease traffic and ensure public safety.
Mayor Lucilo Bayron said Friday the proposed transfer of the San Pedro Elementary School and the Mateo Jagmis Elementary School is also intended to protect the students from constant exposure to air pollution caused by vehicles.
He said the daily 33 flights that leave the Puerto Princesa City International Airport (PPCIA) can affect the health of the students, particularly those of the MJES.
The city government is eyeing to transfer the public elementary schools at the back of the Plaza Cuartel and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) building along Taft Street, Barangay Liwanag.
“Doon sa likod ng dating police station natin magtatayo tayo ng pinakamalaking elementary school sa Puerto Princesa. I-i-encourage natin ‘yong mga estudyante ng San Miguel o Mateo Jagmis Elementary School to relocate sa school na ‘yan,” Mayor Bayron said.
(They will be relocated at the back of the old police station where we will construct the largest elementary school in Puerto Princesa. We will encourage the students of the MJES to relocate there.)
He said they will also encourage the students of the SPES to transfer their studies to the proposed school site.
Bayron added they are willing to provide allowances and incentives to convince the students and the administration of the schools to relocate.
“Magbibigay kami ng allowance, magbibigay kami ng ibang mga incentives, para maalis natin [at] mabawasan ang mga estudyante sa dalawang schools (We will give allowances and incentives to remove the two schools and lessen the number of students),” said Bayron.
He reiterated this is part of an overall plan of the city government to ease congestion in the San Miguel and San Pedro areas which have become major concerns in traffic management now.
Bayron added not only the booming tourism industry contributes to the aggravation of the traffic in the city, but also due to migration that has already increased the number of residents.
“Kapag labasan na ng mga estudyante, problemado tayong lahat dahil sa traffic (We’re all affected by the traffic problem once classes are over and the students go out to go home),” he said.
