STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS - Bacolod City

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computers for various elementary schools and another 20 computers for various
high schools.
Instructional materials worth P4.8 million were also distributed as
additional subsidy for Grades 2 to 6 students.
During the past 12 months, we paid P16.6 million of the back ECOLA of
public school teachers. As of June 30, 2008, unpaid back ECOLA stands at only
P13.4 million out of the original amount of P69.5 million. Indeed, we have come
a long way in settling this big obligation that seemed like a “Mission Impossible”
when we assumed office in 2004. Our hard-working teachers truly deserve this
priority attention.
Our public schools excelled in sports during the period under review.
During the Provincial Meet Competition in December, 2007, the Division of
Bacolod City emerged as the Over-all Provincial Champion with both the
elementary and high school levels reaping championship trophies in their
respective categories.
In the ensuing Regional Meet Competition in March, 2008, we brought
home gold medals for table tennis, softball, discus throw, shot put, high jump,
sipa, badminton, football, gymnastics, archery and taekwando.
In the National Palaro Games last April, 2008, the elementary softball
team of ETCS 1 won the gold while the High School softball team of Domingo
Lacson National High School earned the silver.
In addition to sports awards, our Bacolod public schools also distinguished
themselves in other areas. The Bacolod City National High School won the
championship in the West Negros University Quiz High in September, 2007 and
also took 2 nd place in the Mathematics Competition given by the Teachers
Association of the Philippines Regional Team last February, 2008. In the
Regional Schools Press Conference held last December 2007 in Iloilo City,
representatives from our elementary schools won the Championship trophy in
various aspects of journalistic writing while those from our high schools won the
1 st runner-up slot in the same event.
Let us now take a look at the Bacolod City College.
We are happy to report that for the first semester of Schoolyear 2008-
2009, we have 2,310 students enrolled in its various courses. This is an increase
of 362 students or 19% over that of the last schoolyear. These figures show how
far the Bacolod City College has grown since it was founded in 1997, during my
first term as City Mayor, with an initial enrollment of only 91 students!