Pit in high school stirs controversy

CEBU, Philippines – Is there treasure in the grounds of Don Vicente Rama Memorial National High School?

This was the speculation of a number of residents in barangay Basak-Pardo after noticing an excavation in the grounds that has been going on for more than a month now.

Acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama inspected the area along with city engineer Nicomedes Leonor and found what was claimed to be a compost pit by Roldan Llamedo, a security staff of the school.

“This is not for composting, you don’t make a compost pit when it will take you a longer time to take out the compost from the pit,” Rama said.

The hole is about 4 feet across, 9 feet long and approximately 20 feet deep. There are two levels, the first level stops at about eight feet deep and the second 12 feet deeper.

Leonor said a compost pit should be only about one meter wide (3.2 feet), five meters across (16.4 feet) and not more than three meters (9.8 feet) deep.

Rama then instructed the engineering people to cover up the excavation fearing any accident especially with the onset of the rainy and schooldays.

Llamedo admitted he was among the personnel tasked to excavate and he said he was not paid to do it.

“Bulontaryo ra ning amoa, usahay tagaan mi og bugas pero para ra gyud ni sa mga bata,” he said.

He said that school principal Nympha Balili decided to address the complaints of parents whose children are bringing trash home from school.

Balili who was interviewed by media people yesterday appeared angry and asked why people should make a mountain out of a molehill.

“Gamay raman kaayo na kinsa may nagpadako ana, wala man mi laing tumong, basin ang nag-inspect maoy makaduda,” Balili said.

She said they made the compost pit after the barangay’s garbage truck failed to collect their garbage.

“We are producing 25 sacks of garbage daily, so we are answering the problem,” Balili said. The size of the pit is said to be for three years worth of trash.

Balili is now being questioned by city officials and the Department of Education after she did not inform them of the excavation.

Barangay Captain George Rama said that he sent his men to check the place the other night after parents told him they were worried about the hole.

Rama said that the school does not need a compost pit because they have an agreement with the school that their trash should be placed near the gate and will be picked up by the garbage truck at 7 p.m. every evening.

Those who inspected the pit said that the workers who dug the pit could not produce any permit and also questioned why they did not cordon off the area.

City Consultant on Education Joy Augustus Young told Balili to stop the digging already to ensure the safety of the students.

He said that the principal will also be asked to explain and justify the order for the pit considering also that the school did not ask permission for digging a hole that deep. – Ferliza C. Contratista and AJ de la Torre/BRP (THE FREEMAN)