No major damage in schools in southern Cebu after Seniang

CEBU, Philippines - Save for minimal concerns, schools in southern Cebu did not incur major damage during the onslaught of tropical depression Seniang, said Engr. Victor Yntig, regional infrastructure chief of the Department of Education -7.

“We weren’t able to personally check all affected schools. But I was able to talk to the mayors of Barili, Ronda, Alcantara, Dumanjug. I asked them about the situation in their areas particularly the schools after Seniang. The general situation is that schools are being flooded, learning materials wet and some can no longer be used, but no major damage,” Yntig explained.

The meeting with local chief executives was held Tuesday when the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council conducted rapid damage assessment on areas affected by the storm.

Except for Calagasan National High School in upland Argao town where classes were suspended for one week after a landslide, all other schools resumed classes as scheduled on January 5.

“When we asked them if there were schools that did not resume class last Monday, they said that all except Calagasan returned to school on time. Though there was slight delay in the morning as the first period was consumed for cleaning the school from mud and dirt,” Yntig said.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 has sent hundreds of family food packs to Ronda, one of the most devastated towns.

This after the controversial revelation of Ronda Mayor Mariano Blanco that the town did not receive any aid from DSWD immediately after the storm.

At least 600 relief packs were delivered to Ronda on board trucks of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. These are part of the 5,000 family food packs intended for the typhoon-hit towns.

The agency is still scouting for vehicles to transport the remaining aid.

DSWD also said that it is now processing the aid for Argao town.

GIVING BACK

Meanwhile, Bogo City continues to be recovering from the damage caused by super typhoon Yolanda in 2013 but it is extending assistance to towns in southern Cebu hit recently by typhoon Seniang.

Bogo Mayor Celestino Martinez Jr. and son, Provincial Board Member Celestino “Tining” Martinez III, yesterday led city officials and department heads and some employees in delivering relief goods and medical help to Dumanjug, Ronda and Alcantara.

“Naka-realize mi daghan nitabang namo voluntarily mao’ng kami nakakita karon nga kinahanglan sad mi motabang,” Martinez said.

He said the city allocated about P700,000 from its calamity fund for the relief goods.

City Treasurer Julio Ursonal said each town received 500 packs of relief goods containing four kilos of rice, four assorted canned goods, soap pack, water, blanket and used clothing. —  (FREEMAN)