Fire victims leave school grounds

CEBU, Philippines - Close to 1,000 Cebu City employees trooped to Barangay Luz yesterday to assist in cleaning the entire school that was used for three weeks as relocation site for fire victims.

 Some of the areas inside the school premises were asphalted by the personnel of the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) upon the order of Mayor Michael Rama.

 City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete said Rama decided to bring City Hall employees to Barangay Luz because the mayor promised to help the Brigada Eskwela.

 Aside from cleaning and clearing up of the school premises, Rama brought with him gallons of paint to repaint the classrooms. It was his way of showing gratitude to the school authorities for accommodating the fire victims, he said.

Close to 300 houses made of light materials were razed by a fire that hit four sitios of Barangay Luz where narrow roads prevented fire trucks from penetrating the fire scene

In a related development, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama wants to transfer the Sapangdaku Elementary School to somewhere safe because its present location is often flooded during heavy rains.

The Sapangdaku Elementary School, formerly Baksan Elementary School, stands along the Sapangdaku river.

During their Brigada Eskwela last Friday, the teachers told the mayor of their long-time dilemma of being flooded whenever the river overflows. Classes are then interrupted as pupils are sent home.

The latest incident of flooding submerged the school, up to neck deep.

“Bisan gani dag-om ra, advise-an na ang mga studyante na muuli kay kung muuwan, siguradong magbaha na pud,” said Philip Zafra, chief of staff of the mayor who is tasked to search for an ideal site where the school can be transferred.

“Ambot nakit-an ba kaha ni nga problema sa niadtong administrasyon,” Zafra said. (I don’t know if the previous administration has seen this problem.)

Sapangdaku Elementary School is identified by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau as one of the hazard areas.

Teachers have long been wanting to transfer the school because the flooding is affecting the school’s performance. The school has less than 500 students.

Zafra said that the city government will look for a suitable relocation area within the barangay. They would need at least a hectare lot as the ideal land area although the school currently occupies less than 1,000 square meters along the river.

The other school they visited, the Napo Elementary School, still in Sapangdaku also needs improvement, Zafra said.

“Kay mura gyu’g wala naabot ang modernisasyon didtong dapita. The mayor wants the school improved kay the buildings are really old,” Zafra said. (It seems that school has yet to see modern age.)

The city government’s Brigada Eskwela visited over 20 public schools so far during the two-day caravan. Zafra said that Brigada will continue next week until all schools have been visited.

Based on their observation, schools especially in the mountain barangays have the common problem on lack of perimeter fence and unmaintained comfort rooms.

Rama has already directed all city engineers to look into and do the necessary improvements and repairs to the schools assigned to them.  (FREEMAN)