Parents in Pangasinan town want school principal ousted

BUGALLON, Pangasinan, Philippines – A padlocked gate, streamers with messages of protest, and school children joining their parents to press the ouster of their school principal, greeted the first day of school in Buenlag Elementary School this town yesterday.

Rose Reyes, one of the protesting parents, said they want the school principal, Perla Sampaga, removed from their school because of money matters.

“Our school used to be very quiet until she came here. We had no problem, but it was different because, all that should not be done are happening here since she assumed as principal” she said in Filipino.

She cited their payment of less than P500 each for the toga and graduation gown of their children but nothing happened, plus the alleged cutting of trees in the school.

Rowena Raga, another parent, said the parents, Sampaga, teachers and schools division personnel already had a dialogue regarding their protest last week but nothing happened.

She said her fellow parents want Sampaga out of their school and vowed not to stop from their protest, including padlocking of the gate.

She said they would not let their children attend their classes here or to transfer them to another school if Sampaga is not removed as their principal.

Raga said parents cooperated last week during the Brigada Eskwela, a clean up drive to prepare for the back-to-school of their children hoping not to see anymore Sampaga in their school.

“Hanggat di po siya umaalis, dito po kami (As long as she is not removed, we would stay here),” Raga said.

There are 311 school children in the school here from kindergarten to grade six with 11 teachers plus a utility worker and the principal.

All the other teachers, however, were allowed by the parents to go to their classrooms.

Sampaga came here yesterday morning but was prevented by the parents from entering the school. She quietly left riding in a tricycle and local newsmen failed to find her whereabouts for reactions.

The STAR learned that it was the sixth time that Sampaga was the subject of a protest in other schools where she was assigned. She was designated principal here in August last year.

Myrna de la Cruz, Master Teacher 2 in the said school teaching grade one, said the parents rebelled against Sampaga on certain issues especially involving money matters.

She said the parents and Sampaga were supposed to meet a day after the graduation day in March to settle their differences but the principal was a no-show.

Before noon yesterday, Police Superintendent Wilson Joseph Lopez, head of the Special Operations Group of the provincial police office talked to the parents and explained to them that their children’s education should not be compromised because of their protest.

He urged them to resort to legal means whatever their sentiments are and tried to convince them to open the gate and allow their children to attend their classes.