DOHA: Philippine School Doha has signed an agreement with a bank on financing the school’s new building on a 14,375sqm government-donated plot in Abu Hamour.
The bank has approved a QR108m loan for the project estimated to cost QR120m and the remainder will be contributed by the school.
School Principal Dr Alexander S Acosta told this daily that work begins this month and is expected to be completed by 2017. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held. Once the building is ready, the school will be able to expand capacity and take over 4,000 students.
It is operating from a rented building in Al Messilah and has over 3,000 students.
Because of limited space, the school declines hundreds of students every year. This year over 300 students were turned down, according to Dr Acosta.
The building will have 132 classrooms and facilities to meet the learning needs of students. The school has recently been accredited by Qatar National School Accreditation. “The new campus will be K to 12-compliant and have new facilities, including four science labs, a gym which can accommodate over 3,000 students, big libraries, a speech lab, an audiovisual room and a swimming pool,” said Dr Acosta.
Full implementation of K to 12 programme will require more classrooms for two additional Senior High Schools, more facilities and teachers for technical-vocational-livelihood training.
Dr Acosta signed the agreement with bank officials at the school. Ambassador Wilfredo C Santos, officials from the school and the Philippine embassy were present.
Santos said: “The embassy will continue to support the school for the benefit of the Filipino community.”
The Peninsula
