President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. led the inauguration and inspection of two newly finished school buildings at San Francisco High School in Quezon City on Wednesday, pointing to the project as a prime example of effective public spending.
The newly opened Dao Building and Henry Sy Sr. Hall introduce a combined total of 60 classrooms. The expansion is set to benefit over 6,800 students at the campus, which ranks among the largest public high schools in the Philippines.
The reconstruction was finalized just eight months after a devastating fire in June 2025 ruined multiple school structures. To restore the campus, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) constructed the Dao Building to replace 36 destroyed classrooms.
Meanwhile, the SM-funded Henry Sy Sr. Hall contributed an additional 24 classrooms to better manage the expanding student body.
During his address, President Marcos emphasized that the swift rebuild demonstrates what the government can accomplish when public funds are shielded from corruption and channeled directly into development.
“Kapag ang pera ng gobyerno ay ginagamit sa tama, ito yung kaya natin gawin. Kaya natin magtayo ng four-storey, 60 classrooms in eight months’ time,” the President said.
Marcos recalled that the original structures were deemed hazardous and faced condemnation after the fire, prompting immediate, collaborative intervention from both state agencies and private sector partners.
He lauded the rapid eight-month timeline and noted that the new four-story structures feature modernized safety upgrades, including built-in fire sprinkler systems.
According to the President, the influx of new classrooms has already eased overcrowding and minimized the need for double-shift schooling schedules.
“I do not think that maybe in the last 30 years that we have seen such a building, a four-storey, 60-classroom building built in eight months,” he added.
The Chief Executive credited the project’s success to the tight coordination between the DPWH, the Department of Education (DepEd), local government units, and private stakeholders.