The City Traffic Management Office has formally recommended that Bohol Wisdom School consider relocating from its CPG North Avenue campus, citing persistent traffic congestion that has plagued the area during school hours.
Tony Samante, chief of the City Traffic Management Office, said Thursday that the 70-year-old institution should follow the lead of other major educational facilities that have moved from congested downtown areas to more spacious locations in recent years.
“The parking area inside BWS often gets filled fast,” Samante said in an interview.
He pointed to successful relocations by Holy Name University, PMI Colleges and Holy Spirit School as models the institution could emulate.
The traffic problems stem primarily from inadequate parking capacity at the school’s current Booy location, forcing parents and school vehicles to use surrounding streets as makeshift waiting and parking areas.
This creates bottlenecks during morning drop-off and afternoon pickup times, when the majority of students arrive via private vehicles rather than public transportation or school buses.
The congestion has raised safety concerns for students who must navigate heavy traffic when crossing streets near the campus.
In response, city officials announced plans to construct a pedestrian overpass to provide a safer crossing option for students.
Despite implementing traffic management measures — including designated drop-off zones and controlled vehicle entry and exit points — school administrators have been unable to fully resolve the congestion issues.
The problems are most acute during peak hours when parents converge on the campus simultaneously.
City traffic officials have repeatedly urged parents to cooperate with existing traffic policies, but compliance remains inconsistent.
About Bohol Wisdom School
Bohol Wisdom School is a well-established private, non-sectarian, co-educational institution.
The school serves students from preschool through secondary levels and has offered college programs, including teacher education courses, in the past.
The institution was founded more than seven decades ago as the Bohol Chinese School, a premier educational facility serving the Chinese-Filipino community in the province. The original campus was located along what is now Carlos P. Garcia Avenue.
During the mid-20th century, following the Philippine government’s Filipinization policy requiring foreign schools to reorganize under local ownership and management, the institution was renamed Bohol Wisdom School.
Today, the school positions itself as an academically oriented institution focused on preparing students for modern challenges through comprehensive knowledge and skills development. Its educational philosophy emphasizes nurturing “creators, storytellers, and world-shapers,” reflecting values inspired by its Filipino-Chinese founders.
The school’s mission promotes transformative education centered on academic excellence, love, respect, integrity and stewardship. Its programs span multiple levels, including a preschool department emphasizing values formation and early academics, elementary education with enhanced learning programs, and secondary education focused on holistic student development.
The current campus location, near the New Capitol Site, has become increasingly congested as Tagbilaran City has grown and vehicle ownership has expanded among middle-class families in Bohol.
No timeline has been announced for any potential relocation, and school administrators have not publicly commented on the traffic office’s recommendation.
PHOTO FROM: INTERNET