P83.9M needed to fix Cebu’s public schools

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) has estimated the damage to school buildings in Cebu Province as a result of last Tuesday’s earthquake to cost at least P83.9 million.

Gov. Hilario Davide III presented the figure to the media yesterday shortly before visiting various places in the province to conduct ocular inspection on earthquake stricken areas.

He said result of the DepEd Cebu Province Schools Division’s inspection showed that 86 school buildings need rehabilitation.

Most of the buildings were found to have sustained dismantled ceilings and cracks on walls, columns, floorings.

In particular, 261 classrooms in the entire province were learned to be in need of repairs as of yesterday.

DepEd-Cebu Province Schools Division Superintendent Arden Monisit said the figure is still expected to grow because a team of structural engineers are still assessing the damage in all schools of Cebu.

He said students whose classrooms were severely damaged have to use non-academic spaces like offices and even the school gyms to prevent further disruption of classes.

Following the earthquake on Tuesday, which was a holiday, DepEd suspended classes in all levels for both public and private schools for the rest of week because of continuing aftershocks and to give time for engineers to finish inspecting all school buildings.

Davide said Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes also informed him on the severe damage to classrooms in the city’s schools the mayor was worried where to hold the barangay elections on Oct. 28.

Davide mentioned the following schools with heavily-damaged classrooms: Sta. Rita Primary School (Poro, Camotes island), Marikaban Elementary School of (Sante Fe, Bantayan island), Tan-awan Elementary School (Oslob town), Tayud Elementary School (Liloan town), Malalag Elementary School and Mabasa Elementary School (Argao town), Guiwanon Elementary Schools (Ginatilan town), and Caduawan Elementary School (Tabogon town).

Monisit said that schools with classrooms that sustained only minor damage and are already certified safe for occupancy can resume classes on Monday.

This week is supposedly examination week in public and private schools in Cebu.

Monisit said that public and private schools in all levels are mandated to conduct earthquake safety drills once every quarter for the past several years.

“Pero (But) we do not know og naa na ang (when there is already an) earthquake di ba kaha makalimot sa ilang nakat-onan (they would still remember what they learn). But we are just glad that when the earthquake occurred, it was a holiday and there were no classes on that day,” he said.

Last Tuesday was a Muslim holiday Eidl Fitr, or Feast of Sacrifice, in honor of Abraham, whom they consider a prophet for obeying the will of God in the test that he should have his son Isaac serve as altar sacrifice. (FREEMAN)