Speaker Nograles authors creation of nat’l high school in Davao City

DAVAO CITY, Nov. 21 (PNA) -- House Speaker Prospero C. Nograles recently passed a law creating the Governor Vicente Duterte National High School in Davao City and now ready for President Arroyo’s signature.

Lawyer Karlo B. Nograles, son and chief-of-staff of the first district congressional office of the Speaker here, said once signed by the Chief Executive into a Republic Act, the Governor Vicente Duterte National High School will have its own budget for its operation.

Nograles said the late Governor Duterte is the father of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

He said at present, the school is called “Governor Vicente Duterte Annex” which is actually a mere extension building of the Mabini National High School in Bangkal, this city.

“This is just a small tribute to the late Governor Vicente Duterte who gave Davao national prominence and pride,” he said.

The late Duterte was the last governor of the then undivided Davao Province until it was split in 1967 to become a component city and four provinces.

Aside from being governor, Duterte also joined the cabinet of then President Carlos P. Garcia in 1959 when he was handpicked by his cousin, then Secretary Alejandro Almendras, to be his replacement in the now defunct Department of Public Services (DPS). Almendras left the cabinet in favor of a successful bid to the Senate.

Nograles said after he secured the approval of the Lower Chamber of House Bill 6435 creating the Governor Vicente Duterte National High School, he immediately worked for the concurrence of the Senate.

”It is now in Malacañang awaiting the President’s signature,” Nograles said.

Once enacted into law, Nograles said the Governor Vicente Duterte National High School will have its own budget starting with the General Appropriations Act of 2010. Congress already passed the 2010 GAA, or the national budget, two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Nograles said his father was able to include in the 2010 national budget an additional amount of P40-million for the sports dome project in University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP), also located in this city.

The young Nograles said the sports dome project, the first modern facility in Davao City, is another priority undertaking of the Speaker.

The P40-million fund in the 2010 budget intended for the sports dome is on top of the P100-million secured by Speaker Nograles for the construction.

“With P140-million allocated for the project, Dabawenyos can be assured with a world-class sporting facility,” he pointed out.

He said the sports dome will also have commercial spaces to generate additional income.