In Tayasan, Negros Oriental quake-damaged Catholic school rebuilt; ready for June opening

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — When the magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Negros Oriental last February 6, one of the devastations left in its trail was the collapse of the 2-storey building of the St. Anthony Academy in Tayasan, Negros Oriental.

Barely three months after, the only Catholic high school in Tayasan was rebuilt and about ready to accommodate its old students and new enrollees come opening of classes in June.

On Thursday, outgoing Bishop John Du of the Diocese of Dumaguete led the blessing of at least four brand new one-level classrooms built with funds from donors, said Fr. Salvador Mariño, parish priest of Tayasan, adding that two more classrooms and an administration building are also set for construction.

In his message to school authorities, nuns and parishioners of the town, Du said it was one of his priorities to see the St. Anthony Academy rebuilt before he left the diocese for a new assignment.

Monsignor Du is set to be installed as the new archbishop of the Archdiocese of Palo in Leyte on May 9, after having served the Dumaguete Diocese for 10 years and nine months.

Du, while thanking the donors that helped rebuild the school building, appealed to the public to help encourage students to enroll at the St. Anthony Academy.

School principal Jesus Ayeng said at least 18 freshmen have already enrolled for the coming school year. The school’s last population was 109 students.

Mariño said scholarship grants offered by the DepEd are now available for poor and deserving students. He admitted though that the presence of other high schools in Tayasan may have contributed to the decline in St. Anthony’s student population.

The St. Anthony Academy is one of 14 schools in Negros Oriental and Siquijor provinces, under the administration of the Diocese of Dumaguete, said Mariño, adding that it has been around for 50 years and had celebrated its golden anniversary only last November.

Joining Du and Mariño in the blessing and inauguration rites of the new classrooms were Monsignors Gamaliel Tulabing and Marino Ybo, nuns from various congregations, school faculty and staff and parishioners.