School reconstruction left out of Zambo rehab plan?

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  -  With their schools destroyed during the attempt of the Nur Misuari faction of the Moro National Liberation Front to take over the city, thousands of elementary pupils would have to transfer to other public schools this school year after education officials found that the reconstruction of the destroyed campuses was not included in the rehabilitation program.

The neglect of the reconstruction of the Sta. Barbara Elementary School campus was discovered after the construction of the new sewerage system that has been underway for the rehabilitation of the devastated barangays included about three meters from the ground school perimeter, said Pedro Melchor Natividad, City Schools District superintendent.

Natividad said about 95 percent of all the school’s classroom buildings were badly damaged and are unfit for school operation.

“The recommendation is for the total reconstruction of the school,” Natividad said.

He said two others public schools in the devastated villages of Mariki and Rio Hondo remain usable.

“However, school operation such as in  Mariki can not be conducted because practically there are no villagers in the area and the Rio Hondo school is being occupied by the internally displaced persons (IDPs)..."

Natividad said they learned that schools were not part of the rehabilitation program following a verification with the central office in Manila recently.

The school official said they initially thought the destroyed schools were among the facilities that will  be rehabilitated by the Office of the Civil Defense, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Department of Education (DepEd).

He said they have also submitted the assessment of the damaged schools to Office of the President through the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) under Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.

“But the DepEd central office said that there was none (fund) yet for the rehabilitation of the schools,” Natividad said.

He said the discovery prompted the DPWH to make plans and estimate for the reconstruction of the schools as part of the rehabilitation program.

Natividad, however, said  that even with the inclusion in the rehabilitation program, the affected schools will be squatting temporarily  in other public schools after some principals have agreed to adopt and help the affected pupils.