Quezon City execs urged to ensure safe site for public schools

MANILA, Philippines--Teachers and students of a public school in Quezon City, which is near a fault line, called on authorities today to ensure a suitable relocation site for the education facility.

Although local officials eyed on relocating Bagong Silangan High School, students and the faculty members wanted an assurance that the new site would be safe.

"It would be a waste of time and money if the new site for the school building is also located near an earthquake fault line," one teacher said.

Students, though apprehensive of the relocation proposal, welcomed the plan of the city government to be transferred to another site.

"We want to stay here because our homes are just within the vicinity of the school but we have to accept the fact that we must leave here for our own safety," they said.

According to the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanolgy (Phivolcs), the school is near the so-called west valley fault line.

One teacher even expressed fears after getting information that the school might be literally swallowed up by the ground in an event of a strong quake.

"They explained to us that we are also near the San Mateo-Marikina River which makes the ground softer," the teacher said.

Aside from Bagong Silangan High School, the Bagong Silangan Elementary School was also built over a faultline.

The elementary school has more than 7,000 students.