Carles,
Iloilo — Almost eight months after the
world’s worst recorded storm, schoolchildren in far-flung Isla Gigantes Sur,
Carles town, Iloilo province still have to endure a rough learning environment.
“We do
with what we have,” said 39-year-old Ma. Lisa Bonete, principal of Lantangan
Elementary School, the most populated of the three public schools in an island
known to outsiders as an emerging destination for its white-sand beaches,
caves, and salt water lagoon.
But far
from the curious eyes of tourists, Bonete emphasized that the people of Isla
Gigantes Sur, especially students, are still experiencing hardship from the
damages of super-typhoon “Yolanda” (international name Haiyan).
When
the new school year opened last June 2, the 1,144 students have to content
themselves with attending classes inside tents or makeshift classrooms made out
of tarpaulins and bamboo poles.
Of the
25 classrooms in a hilly portion of the island, 90 percent were damaged by
“Yolanda” last November 2013.
A local
division of the Department of Education (DepEd) has more than P3 million
allocation for repair, but actual work has not started and only a
P30,000-funding was initially released.
COMMUNAL EFFORT
It was
the distinct Filipino trait of “bayanihan” that pushed parents to take action.
Evelyn
Abrozo, 37-year-old president of the Parent Teachers Association (PTA), said
parents rallied and raised money to pay local carpenters in constructing
makeshift classrooms or installing temporary roofs.
Her
39-year-old husband Jupiter, a Grade 5 teacher, added that they had to initiate
on their own so their children can continue going to school.
Education,
they explained, is a means of empowering and uplifting the fishing community
that is considered to be the farthest point of Iloilo province.
Sea
travel from the mainland to the island village is anywhere from an
hour-and-a-half to two-and-a-half hours, depending on the weather.
THE CHALLENGES
With
its limitations, tents and makeshift classrooms pose herculean challenges.
On a
sunny school day, Bonete said the sweltering heat bothers the students and they
become irritable.
With
the recent onset of the rainy season, it’s a different story. Bonete sadly
noted that when the rain doesn’t stop, classes are cancelled as children start
running and head home.
Also,
tents and tarpaulins of makeshift classrooms are always in disarray after heavy
rainfall.
Bonete
noted the inconvenience for students and teachers who have to arrange
everything back the next morning before classes can start.
More
than that, Abrozo said that there are health risks in this environment. She expressed
fears that children may get sick or catch the dreaded pneumonia.
A SIMILAR SCENARIO
The
hardships are also similar in two public schools in the neighboring village of
Gabi.
Susanita
Batobalani, principal of Gabi Elementary School, said the 509 students also
have to bear studying in tent and makeshift classrooms as the school remains
largely unrepaired.
Batobalani
said an allocation has been set by the local DepEd, but no specific date has
been set as to when repair work will start.
Fralyn
Leones, principal of Granada National High School—Ballesteros Campus, said she
had to take an initiative to find ways to install roofs of classrooms that were
blown off by “Yolanda” so that the more than 500 high school students can be
safe.
SCHOOL NEEDS
Aside
from hoping for the immediate repair of damaged infrastructures, the three
schools also have other needs, including books.
Bonete,
Batobalani and Leones said that books, no matter how old, can still be used by
both students and teachers in Isla Gigantes Sur.
Unlike
in many urban areas or in the mainland, the three Isla Gigantes Sur schools
have no access to the Internet and do not have the luxury to check popular
Wikipedia as a quick reference material.
It is
mainly because only Lantangan village has reliable signal for mobile phones
while majority of Gabi village has no signal at all. Also, electricity is only
available from 6-10 p.m daily.
Meanwhile,
the three school principals are grateful to private organizations that have
ongoing projects.
At the
same time, the three are also taking their own initiatives in reaching out to
private groups in getting more aid to rebuild their damaged schools.
STRONGER CLASSROOMS
DepEd-6
in Western Visayas region assured that Yolanda-devastated schools such as the
three schools in Isla Gigantes Sur will be repaired at a far better quality.
“Let’s
have patience,” appealed Dr. Corazon Brown, DepEd-6 regional director.
Brown
emphasized that the rehabilitated classrooms will be able to withstand storms
as strong as “Yolanda” or major earthquakes.
Brown
said that the first phase of the P1.46-billion repair project will be
implemented for Yolanda-devastated public schools starting August.
Funding
for repair of “Yolanda”-devastated schools in Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique,
and Negros Occidental provinces are from the quick response fund of DepEd and
from Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery.
“In the
long run, it is for the good of everybody,” Brown added.
Tara
Yap
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
in Singapore since 1994.
No comments:
Post a Comment