By MAE SINGUAY
BACOLOD CITY — The first Singapore international school in the Negros Island Region and Western Visayas officially broke ground at Megaworld’s Northill Gateway township along the Bacolod Airport Access Road in this city on February 10, marking a major milestone in the city’s education and development landscape.
The ceremonial groundbreaking was led by Singapore School Bacolod President Trixie Suarez, City Mayor Greg Gasataya and Megaworld Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso.
The project is part of Megaworld’s 53-hectare township development and is expected to strengthen Bacolod’s position as an emerging education hub in the region.
The soon-to-rise campus will feature a sustainability-driven design that reflects Bacolod’s local heritage, incorporating adaptive reuse through repurposed bricks from former sugarcane centrals as an architectural tribute to the city’s sugar industry roots.
Singapore School Bacolod will offer a comprehensive academic pathway from preschool to lower secondary under the Singaporean curriculum, followed by globally recognized programs such as the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) for upper secondary and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) for pre-university.
Gasataya welcomed the establishment of the international school, saying it will broaden academic opportunities for Bacolodnon students and contribute to local economic development.
“This international school will provide better opportunities for our learners who are aiming to study in bigger universities abroad,” Gasataya said.
He added that the presence of a globally recognized institution will help prepare students to compete in international academic environments.
Singapore School Bacolod will be the fifth Singapore School campus in the Philippines, joining existing campuses in Manila, Clark, Cavite, and Cebu.
The Bacolod campus will be located along Cane Street within Northill Gateway and is envisioned as a green campus that integrates Bacolod’s local character while upholding international education standards.
School President Trixie Suarez said the decision to establish a campus in Bacolod was driven by strong demand from parents seeking international education options for their children.
“There’s so much potential and promise here, and we’re very excited to educate the children of Bacolod,” Suarez said.
“Through this, they will be able to aspire and reach the top universities in the world,” she added.