Makeshift classrooms, tents await Buot Taup students

CEBU, Philippines — Students in the mountain barangay of Buot Taup in Cebu City will have to attend classes in makeshift classrooms and tents when the new school year opens this month after their school building was declared unsafe for use.

Aside from Buot Taup, several other schools in Cebu City are also facing relocation or repair due to structural damage and hazardous locations.

“Sa Buot Taup, dili gyud na angay… kato man gung eskwelahan naa sa kilid sa river, unya na kan-an ang river, nagtakilid na,” Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival told reporters during his first appearance at Brigada Eskwela in Cambinocot on Monday, noting that the school’s location beside a river has compromised its structural integrity.

Archival said the city government is still searching for a suitable site where a new school building can be constructed for the barangay.

“Nangita ta og lugar karon, asa ta makapalit og yuta,” he said.

In the meantime, students will have to continue their studies in temporary learning spaces, primarily tents.

“Lisod asa mga kabataan,” the mayor lamented.

Archival also cited similar concerns in schools located in Buhisan, Subangdaku, Busay, and Lusaran, where facilities are either damaged or situated near waterways.

“Naa tay problema sa Buhisan, Subangdaku and Busay… gitagaan na nig pagtagad. Lusaran, still looking for its report, also kilid sa sapa,” he added.

The mayor said the city has already secured funding for two new school buildings, including one in Talamban, but stressed that more classrooms are urgently needed.

“Ako, naghangyo ko, at least naa tay makuha MRB, naa na tay nakuha duha—Talamban I think ang usa… but I would like to ask for more,” he said.

The worsening classroom shortage stems largely from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck in September 2025 and Typhoon Tino in November, both of which damaged or destroyed thousands of classrooms across Cebu.

According to the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 7, more than 200 schools were affected, with rehabilitation costs estimated at over P5 billion. However, only a portion of the needed funding has so far been released, leaving many campuses unsafe as classes resume.

Meanwhile, Archival urged schools to maintain cleanliness and environmental programs beyond Brigada Eskwela activities, encouraging the establishment of compost pits, Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs), and rainwater catchment systems.

“Nakita nako nga limpyo kaayo ang lugar, daghan kaayo og trees sa Cambinocot… pero akong giingnan ang mga principal nga hinaot pa unta nga dili lang karon ang kalimpyuhon, continue ni hangtud mahuman ang eskwela ug hangtud sa sunod magpadayon,” he said, emphasizing that the appeal covers all schools in Cebu City.

He also underscored the need for proper waste management and rainwater harvesting systems to address water supply concerns in schools.

Archival likewise called on the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to strengthen police visibility around schools to ensure student safety.

“Nagstorya mi ni George Ylanan kagabie… make sure secure gyud ang tanang mga eskwelahan,” he said, adding that police outposts and emergency hotlines are already in place.

This year’s Brigada Eskwela also saw PhilHealth Region VII participate in the campaign by bringing health insurance awareness programs to schools across Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

Through its YAKAP program, PhilHealth is promoting preventive healthcare benefits, including free consultations, laboratory tests, screenings, and outpatient medicines worth up to P20,000 annually per member.

Information sessions are also being conducted in schools to help parents and teachers update their records and better understand their healthcare entitlements. — Meriane Katherine Espina, CNU Intern (FREEMAN)