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Ailyn Agonia
DOHA
Philippine School Doha (PSD) is getting ready to welcome about 4,000 students who have reserved seats for the next academic year, on its new campus, in June.
According to PSD Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairman Gerardo Macasa Jr, the construction of the new school building near the Pak Shama School in the Mesaimeer area is nearing completion and is expected to meet its deadline.
Macasa, along with other members of PSD BOT and the school's administration including Principal Dr Alex Acosta, visited the construction site on Saturday. It was the first scheduled visit of the PSD team to their permanent home this year, as part of the team's commitment to closely monitoring the progress of the project.
"We are committed to completing the project as per schedule and moving to the new campus on time for the school year 2017 2018. Currently, PSD has more than 3,000 students. With the opening of the new campus, PSD can accommodate the 4,000 students on the reservations list and operate smoothly without the need of having two shifts of classes," Macasa told Qatar Tribune.
The new facility is in a 14,375-square metre plot which was allotted by the Qatari government to Philippine government following the state visit of former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to Doha in December 2008.
A groundbreaking ceremony of the new school site was held in January 2012.
Aside from having ample number of classrooms, the new campus will also feature a gymnasium, library, laboratories and sports facilities including a swimming pool.
"Parallel to the completion of the construction of the campus, we have also started procuring equipment including tables and chairs for the classrooms. We would like to assure the parents of our students, who doubt whether the new campus would be ready this year as announced earlier, that PSD administration is doing its best to prepare the school's permanent home," Macasa added.
PSD is currently operating in a rented building in Madinat Khalifa. It has been the school's temporary home for about eight years. The institution, which marks its silver founding anniversary this year, started operation in 1992 and was earlier occupying a campus in Al Sadd.
