‘Cosme’ displaces pupils in 14 P’sinan schools

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Fourteen public schools in Pangasinan may not open classes on June 10 yet as typhoon “Cosme” totally damaged their classrooms and the full restoration may take sometime.

Dr. Alma Ruby Torio, schools division superintendent, told reporters that five of these schools are under her jurisdiction, which covers the first, second and third congressional districts.

“(The students) really have no classrooms to use,” she said.

Other schools, according to Torio, have other classrooms ready for repair that can accommodate the displaced students through double shifts.

Classes can also be held in tents while the damaged classrooms are being repaired.

In a meeting with Education Secretary Jesli Lapus the other day, Torio recommended the postponement to July of classes in areas hardest-hit by the typhoon.

In a report, the provincial disaster coordinating council said the typhoon destroyed 605 schools and partially damaged more than 1,000 others.

Meanwhile, Pangasinan Rep. Art Celeste called on Lapus and the provincial government to set aside their differences and work together to rush the rehabilitation of damaged school buildings.

This, as provincial administrator Rafael Baraan recently said that Lapus gave erroneous reports to the President on the real extent of typhoon damage in the province. Lapus has denied this.

“There should be a stop to fault-finding and finger-pointing. What should be done immediately is to coordinate all efforts of the concerned agencies so we could make our classrooms ready for the influx of students this coming school year,” Celeste, chairman of the House committee on national defense and security, said in a statement.

Celeste also appealed to the national government for additional funding solely for school rehab, on top of what the education department earmarks for this in its annual budget.