CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama expressed his “disgust and disenchantment” over a school building built by the Department of Public Works and Highways-7 at the Budlaan Elementary School in Barangay Budlaan that does not have an emergency exit.
“I am bringing my disgust on a project again that will project lack of sensitivity. And we already knew and they (DPWH) have been aware, a lot of disaster occurring not only in the Philippines but also anywhere abroad,” he said.
He wants the Local School Board and Department of Education-Cebu City District to address the problem.
The city government has been advocating for the construction of emergency exits in all public schools in the city for the safety and security of the students and teachers. It has appropriated P23 million for additional emergency exits following the devastation caused by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake in both Bohol and Cebu in 2013.
Rama said the city will continue to look for funding not only for the construction of school building but also for the emergency exits.
“Yes, thanks (to DPWH) since one (school building) is being built. I wish the school board is aware (that it lacks emergency stairs), otherwise it will also bring me to disenchantment,” he said.
Last Tuesday, Rama was invited to the Budlaan Elementary School where Visayan Electric Company and Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. turned over the electrical rewiring of the school to the city government.
“I was told that they are thinking of 15 schools about the rewiring, I wish they will do it in 80 schools,” Rama said, commending Veco and Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. for the Public-Private Partnership project in different schools in the city.
Rama said the two-story school building is not that high, but it has enough height to be considered in disaster preparedness.
“When there is earthquake, then ang building has only one area for exit, usa ray padulngan sa students and teachers. It creates panic and it has a possibility of posing a stampede and the worse is jumping. And the height is not a regular height,” he said.
Should DPWH undertake school building construction, the mayor said he wants the agency to follow disaster preparedness guidelines.
“When will they ever learn? So, that I will repeat my disgust and disenchantment on the project being ram down in our throat by the national government through DPWH,” Rama said.
Despite the shortcoming, Rama thanked the agency for helping the city address the problem of classroom deficiency. — (FREEMAN)