GMA orders first aid included in curriculum

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo has ordered the Department of Education to include first aid training in the curriculum of public schools after a visit to Masbate to condole with the families of the victims of a recent boat accident.

Mrs. Arroyo came up with the decision after hearing the plea of a Marikina Polytechnic College professor, a certain Mr. Llenesses, who lost his wife in the accident. He told the President that his wife was still breathing when she was rescued.

However, because nobody was able to administer CPR to her, she died shortly after the rescue.

“I asked the President if she could order the inclusion of first aid in the high-school curriculum and I’m glad that our good President listened to me,” Llenesses said.

The President relayed her instructions to Transportation undersecretary Elena Bautista, who is currently officer-in-charge of the Maritime Industry Authority.

“The President wants me to tell DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus to include first aid or CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) in the school curriculum,” Bautista said.

The first aid and CPR training of students will come in handy in case of accidents.

Meanwhile, Llenesses’ five-year-old son Giorgio remains missing.

Llenesses appealed for help in finding his son, who was going back to Manila from a vacation in Uson, Masbate when the accident took place almost one hour after the overloaded boat left the Dimasalang port in clear weather at 2 p.m.

Forty-two people died in the accident which took place on Nov. 4.

Meanwhile, President Arroyo also ordered Bautista to strictly implement all the maritime policies governing small inter-island boats to avoid another such disaster.

“We have a lot of policies to review here because most of our policies on safety requirements are for 35-and-above gross-ton ships only. The Don Dexter is only 13 gross tons,” Bautista said.