May 24, 2022 – Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones lauded the Department of Education (DepEd) Central Luzon on its efforts in the ongoing construction and development of the Bataan High School for the Arts (BHSA) after her visit last May 11, Wednesday.

“I am interested in the development of the Bataan High School for the Arts. This school will further improve the talent of our young individuals while promoting the Philippine culture and arts. I congratulate the regional office for your efforts in establishing this school which is necessary along with the emergence of technology,” said Secretary Briones.

Despite the ongoing construction, BHSA has started its pioneering class with 40 students this school year through blended learning. BHSA offers the following strands: Visual Arts, Theater Arts, Media Arts, Creative Writing, Folk Dance, Ballet, and Music.

Overall completion of the construction of BHSA is expected to be completed next year. These facilities include an administration building, a three-story dormitory building, a congregation hall, an academic building with 10 classrooms, and a five-story building with cafeteria, studio, and practice rooms.

Meanwhile, the Education Chief also recognized Bataan as a strategic location for the creation of the said school as the province is rich in culture and heritage due to its contribution to history.

“Bataan occupies a special place in history and the hearts and minds of Filipinos. No Filipino should call themselves a Filipino if he does not know Bataan,” Secretary Briones added.

The Education Chief visited the ongoing construction of the BHSA in Bagac, Bataan to monitor its development. Secretary Briones was joined by Regional Director May Eclar, OIC School Director and SDO Balanga School Division Superintendent Rolando Fronda, and OIC Deputy Director Bryan Santos.

BHSA is administered and supervised by DepEd, in coordination with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the Cultural Center of the Philippines through the virtue of Republic Act No. 11190.

The school is implementing a general secondary curriculum prescribed by Republic Act No. 10533, or the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013”, with a special focus on the arts that shall aid in recognizing early the talent and exceptional giftedness of young children, thereby ensuring the nurturance of artists of excellence and the preservation and promotion of Filipino heritage.

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