Albay poised to get Philippine Science High School campus with P100M initial budget proposal

LEGAZPI CITY — An Albay campus of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) has been included in the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program with an initial allocation of P100 million, according to Albay Third District Rep. Raymond Adrian Salceda in an interview on Tuesday (September 8). The campus would rise on a site at Barangay Itaran in Polangui town and is expected to help address the demand for specialized science and technology education in the province, Salceda said. READ: Zero funding for DepEd’s Aral Program under 2027 NEP “If the project pushes through, it would serve not only students from Albay but also those from nearby provinces in the Bicol region,” he said. Salceda said he presented the proposal to the PSHS Board of Trustees, which expressed support for the project, along with the administration of the PSHS-Bicol Regional Campus in Goa, Camarines Sur. The first phase of the project is estimated to cost about P300 million and will cover the construction of academic and administrative buildings, site development, roads and utility infrastructure. Members of the PSHS board conducted an ocular inspection of the proposed site on Monday (September 7) and gave a positive feedback, Salceda said. He said his office had also sought assistance from the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Science and Technology to secure additional funding and enable the campus to admit its first batch of students by 2029. “Albay produces the highest number of qualifiers in the annual PSHS admission examination, but many are unable to continue because the Goa campus is too far,” Salceda said. “We hope this new campus will make the dream of becoming scientists more accessible to many Albayanos,” he added. /jpv Source: Inquirer NewsInfo