Pangasinan schools need new books

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Aside from destroying school buildings, storm “Cosme,” which heavily battered Northern Luzon last month, has also left 75 percent of public schools in three districts in this province in dire need of new textbooks.

Dr. Alma Ruby Torio, schools division superintendent whose area covers the first, second and third congressional districts, said she has forwarded a request for new textbooks to replace the rain-soaked ones to the regional office of the Department of Education.

Torio said teachers and pupils are now making good use of what little they have salvaged in the storm’s aftermath, including some reference materials.

She said they had achieved a ratio of one textbook per pupil but Cosme changed this.

Fortunately, she said the affected schools are starting to receive textbooks as part of the DepEd’s annual delivery.

“I really appreciate the efforts of our teachers and pupils. They know how to manage the situation,” she said.

Torio said the rehabilitation of storm-damaged classrooms is ongoing, with 63 being given priority.

She said about P300 million is needed to replace school buildings totally destroyed by Cosme in her jurisdiction, and so far, only P20 million has been released.