MANILA, Philippines — The local government of Manila inaugurated a modern six-story building at the Aurora A. Quezon Elementary School in San Andres, Malate, on Monday, October 19, equipped with 68 fully air-conditioned classrooms and advanced facilities.
Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso stated that the infrastructure initiative is designed to accommodate the growing student population and improve the long-term learning environment in the capital.
“To build today is cheaper. To build today is better. So that the next generation, the next sets of teachers and students, with regard to the ratio, is now universally acceptable, more modern, more beautiful, more decent,” Domagoso remarked.
Constructed on a 2,596-square-meter lot with a total floor area of 11,221 square meters, the development was completed in two phases—the first finishing in December 2023 and the second concluding in August 2026.
Looking back at his own upbringing, Domagoso underscored the vital impact of public schooling on his personal and political journey.
“Who would have thought na isa sa mga estudyante ninyo ay pwedeng maging mayor ng Maynila? I’m a product of the public education system, full-blooded,” he said.
In addition to standard classrooms, the new facility houses a computer laboratory, a library, a Madrasah room, an Alternative Learning System center, faculty rooms, a canteen, a clinic, and two elevators.
During the event, Domagoso also announced the upcoming completion of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) Allied Health Sciences building near Quirino Avenue and Roxas Boulevard, which will scale up enrollment capacity from 3,900 to 5,000 students while offering tuition-free medicine, nursing, and allied health programs.
With a history spanning over 70 years since its official naming on September 28, 1951, under then-Mayor Manuel dela Fuente, Aurora A. Quezon Elementary School joins a series of ongoing educational infrastructure upgrades in Manila.
Other notable projects include a ₱1.3 billion, 10-story building at Manila Science High School featuring 158 air-conditioned classrooms, a gymnasium, and a rooftop sports area, alongside similar multi-story developments at Rosario Almario Elementary School in Tondo and Ramon Magsaysay High School in Sampaloc.