PALO, Leyte–Department of Education (DepEd) Leyte Division Superintendent Dr. Mariza Magan lauded local officials and stakeholders for the construction of a two-story, four-classroom building that will soon accommodate high school students in Barangay Basud, San Isidro, Leyte.
“Our partners have done everything to establish this building. I also commit that we will do everything to establish this school,” said Magan during the formal turnover ceremony on March 20, 2025.
She expressed her gratitude to Leyte 3rd District Representative Anna Victoria Veloso-Tuazon and the Cabahug Family, along with Leyte 3rd District Engineering Office head Engr. Cesar Makabenta, Barangay Captain Jahnson Yap, Councilor Cecilia Cabahug, District 1 Supervisor Diomedes Espina, Basud Elementary School Head Alden Dela Cerna, municipal, and barangay officials for their efforts in constructing the building.
In her speech, Magan congratulated the residents for having community leaders “who have high regard for the education of the youth.”
“DepEd is only one sector of our community. We appreciate the leaders who have love for education. As the saying goes, ‘It takes a village to educate a child.’ Barangay Basud is blessed to have these leaders,” said Magan, while urging parents to also do their part in strengthening their children’s learning even outside class hours.
Magan assured that DepEd Leyte is working to bring education access to students right on their doorsteps.
The new building, which stands on a 1.1-hectare lot donated by the Cabahug Family, will also cater to students from the interior barangays of Banat-e and Biasong.
“Climate change impacts are a reality we must deal with, and second, life goes on. So, we invest in human capital and in each other sustainably—through this building, through education,” said Veloso-Tuazon, who is known for her climate-related and sustainable livelihood advocacies.
“We will continue to make laws that will help our youth get opportunities in the country and globally. Education and training are about equipping our youth with the tools to foster innovation and global competitiveness, ensuring that future generations have what they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world,” the lawmaker added.
During the ceremony, she announced that the building will also serve as a safe and sustainable “learning laboratory” to uplift the youth and facilitate collaboration on nature-based solutions, computing data, natural resource accounting, and science-based decision-making to guide policymakers.
“We need advocates in our community… to focus on capacity building… to design better, build better,” added Veloso-Tuazon, as she thanked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for implementing flood control mitigation in the building area.
“This building brings bigger returns for the community. Thank you for giving the best to our learners. Whatever the accomplishments of the school, they are also the accomplishments of the entire Leyte Division,” said Magan, while expressing pride in how Leyte Division won the overall championship in the 2025 Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC) and Regional Festival of Talents (RFOT), and secured first runner-up in the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) Meet.
During the event, Magan also thanked the collaborative efforts of division officials, including Assistant Superintendent Atty. Calick Arrieta, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Teodorico Peliño Jr., Curriculum Implementation Division (CID) Chief Grace Villanueva, Schools Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) Chief Dr. Gil Esplanada, and Engr. Aldrin Balase.
Grateful Donor
Meanwhile, Cabahug thanked Magan and other local officials “for being there when we needed them.”
She added that the family has plans to donate more land should the school need additional space for the upcoming Senior High building.
“In three years, I have seen how Basud Extension Class has grown and developed into the kind of school it is now—shaping a better future for our students and delivering quality education amid challenges,” said Paul Bryan Singcol, teacher-in-charge of San Isidro National High School-Basud Extension Campus.
“I am surrounded by the best stakeholders—from the barangay, town, school, students, and faculty. Even though we are an extension class, we are producing good students,” added Singcol, taking pride in the fact that one of the representatives of the 2025 EVRAA is an alumna of Basud Extension Class.
The new building will be used for nearly 200 secondary students of the Basud Extension Class, who are currently accommodated at Basud Elementary School.
