Hopwood Middle School students enter their brand new modular school building on Tuesday.
Photo by Emmanuel T. Erediano
OVER 250 of Admiral Herbert G. Hopwood Middle School’s 584 students are now attending classes at their newly built modular classrooms, Principal Victor Borja said on Monday.
“I think there was a lot of excitement when the students officially transferred to their new classrooms,” he said.
With 20 new classrooms, the number of students per classroom has been reduced significantly, he added.
Fewer students in a classroom will improve student learning, he said, adding that teachers can “personalize” the classrooms for a better learning environment.
Funded by $4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, the modular classrooms were inaugurated by Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang and Public School System officials on Feb. 14, 2025.
Designed and installed by CJ Innovation, the classrooms are made of autoclaved lightweight concrete or ALC, a cutting-edge pre-engineered construction material that is eco-friendly, highly insulated, sound-proof, 100% fire-resistant, moisture-proof, and lightweight but strong.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, CJ Innovation Executive Director Jee Young Su, CJ Innovation Director Yoo Yoon Jae, engineer Kim Jung Hoon and ECO E&T Vice President Park Byoung Eok said it was “a significant milestone for educational infrastructure that students are finally stepping into the classrooms that are meticulously designed and constructed by CJ Innovation. This moment symbolizes a deep commitment to excellence in the education sector.”
They said that in light of the school project’s completion, “there is a renewed hope that more of these initiatives will move forward. It is crucial for students to be provided with spaces that allow them to learn in environments that are both comfortable and safe.”
While the project was originally expected to take seven months, CJ Innovation said it employed a strategic pre-fabrication methodology that significantly reduced the construction timeline.
By utilizing advanced pre-assembly techniques, CJ Innovation said it reduced the duration of on-site labor while boosting precision and efficiency.
“As a result, the actual construction took just three months — an impressive feat in the field of educational facility development,” CJ Innovation said.
The company said it chose “premium, corrosion-resistant materials like PosMac to ensure that the buildings maintain their structural integrity. Unlike typical temporary classrooms, these facilities were designed for durability and sustainability, intended to serve students well beyond any temporary need.”
CJ Innovation said this “innovative approach is expected to set a new standard for future educational infrastructure projects. By employing cutting-edge construction methodologies, CJ Innovation aims to quickly restore learning environments for students impacted by unforeseen disruptions. [We] emphasize … the importance of solutions that balance efficiency with longevity, ensuring that no student’s education is jeopardized by infrastructural issues.”
Proactive approach
In a letter to PSS last week, CJ Innovation made a commitment to maintain the modular school facility for a year.
CJ Innovation said it will coordinate with the school principal to come up with a regular inspection of the overall condition of the building on a monthly basis.
“This proactive approach will ensure that maintenance is conducted seamlessly, minimizing any potential disruptions and facilitating timely repairs as needed,” CJ Innovation said.
According to CJ Innovation Executive Director Jee Young Su, “We … will repay the trust of our customers by constructing durable and beautiful buildings in a short period of time with sophisticated and rapid processes using globally recognized high-quality building materials, based on our rich architectural design technology that has been designing great buildings for a long time.”
“It is also CJ Innovation’s goal to build, maintain and manage buildings with honesty and sincerity so that our customers can use the space conveniently and comfortably for a long time,” he added.
In a Variety news file, former acting Education Commissioner Donna M. Flores noted that the modular classrooms are transportable. Once the construction of permanent classrooms is completed the modular classrooms can be transported to other schools that may need them, she said.
