CEAP sees 20% drop in Samar, Leyte enrollees

MANILA, Philippines - An official of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) yesterday said there is an estimated 20 percent drop in the number of enrollees in their 50 member-schools in areas hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda.

“We do not have an exact figure, but that is our observation,” said CEAP advocacy and information management officer Anthony Coloma.

Coloma, however, said there might be late enrollees since classes are still scheduled to start on Monday.

He said the decline in the number of their students in Samar and Leyte might have been an effect of the strong typhoon that hit Eastern Visayas last November.

Coloma said some of their students may have perished in the strong winds and heavy flooding triggered by Yolanda, while others may have either relocated after losing their homes or are still coping with the trauma that they experienced.

He said that when they reopened schools in January, many of their students were no longer able to return to their classes.