No classes in Bogo, 13 north Cebu towns

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd)-Cebu Province announced that there will be no classes for five days beginning today in one city and 13 towns of northern Cebu devastated by super typhoon Yolanda last Friday.

Arden Monisit, DepEd-Cebu Province schools division superintendent, said there are no classes in Bogo City and the towns of Sogod, Borbon, Tabogon, Medellin, San Remigio, Daanbantayan in mainland Cebu and Madridejos, Sta. Fe and Bantayan in Bantayan island from Nov. 11 to 15.

The same is also true for the towns of San Francisco, Tudela, Poro and Pilar in Camotes island.

“Kini aron kahatagan og panahon ang atong mga (This is to give time to our) local government units sa pag-ayo sa tunghaan nga nangaguba atol sa bagyo (to fix the schools damaged by the typhoon),” Monisit told The FREEMAN.

He said the rest of Cebu should already start regular classes today, especially that there were no classes Thursday and Friday last week

He said that six DepEd engineers will proceed to Bantayan island today to assess the damage to school buildings and classrooms there.

According to Cebu 4th district Rep. Benhur Salimbangon, who conducted an aerial inspection last Saturday, said the damage suffered by his district, especially to houses and infrastructures, is beyond human comprehension.

“Dili gayud matino kung unsa ka grabe ang nahi-agoman nga kadaot sa kabalayan, mga eskwelahan ug uban pang mga (We cannot describe how grave the extent of damage is to homes, schools, and other) infrastructures sa Bantayan island,” Salimbangon said.

Monisit said he has to come up with a decision on how to remedy the situation if by Friday the school buildings and classrooms still could not be used or that repairs would take more than five days.

One of his options is to order an extension of the suspension of classes.

He added that aside from the municipalities in Bantayan island, school buildings and classrooms in Daanbantayan and Medellin will also be assessed by their engineers.

It can be recalled that Yolanda made landfall six times, including one in Daanbantayan and another in Bantayan, before it exited from the Philippine area of responsibility last Saturday afternoon, leaving an estimated 10,000 people who could be dead and billions worth of damages to various infrastructures, including power lines.— /RHM (FREEMAN)