In Dumaguete City, exciting changes are on the horizon for young students as the Department of Education (DepEd) prepares to launch new special programs as it moves two public elementary schools to a new site in July in time for the upcoming school year. 

The City Central Elementary School (CCES) and Calindagan Elementary School (CALES) will be relocating to the Catherina Cittadini Campus in Barangay Calindagan.

Dr. Marina Salamanca, head of the DepEd City Schools Division, expressed the city’s aspirations, saying, “Here in Dumaguete City, we are aspiring to be the hub of development in terms of sports, culture and the arts, and journalism.”

On May 30, Mayor Felipe Antonio B. Remollo and Sister Cicily Jacob of the Ursuline Sisters of Somasca signed the Deed of Absolute Sale and Memorandum of Agreement to formalize the acquisition of the Catherina Cittadini Campus for P175 million. 

The property spans 1.8 hectares and includes over a dozen buildings, a gymnasium, laboratories, a cafeteria, a chapel, parking spaces, a playground, a dormitory, and a grotto.

Salamanca highlighted the potential of these special programs, citing recent successes of Dumaguete students in regional events. 

She emphasized the importance of utilizing the new space for improvement, telling the Philippine News Agency that DepEd had planned to use P3 million to upgrade classrooms at two public elementary schools. 

However, with the new school site, this money will now be used for improvements there instead.

Salamanca clarified that the schools will not merge but will be “co-locate,” offering separate programs similar to other public schools in the area. He did not mention what will happen to the old locations for both schools.

The signing and turnover of the symbolic key was witnessed by a delegation from the City Schools Division DepEd Dumaguete led by Salamanca and officials from the City Government.