Mindanaotoday.com | Flood damages 152 classrooms in MisOcc
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Classes in public elementary and secondary schools are set to resume Wednesday, January 4, after a two-week break, but not in Oroquieta City where at least 152 classrooms were damaged by massive flooding on Christmas day.
Mayor Lemuel Meyrick Acosta, in a Facebook post on Monday, January 2, said in-person classes will resume on Monday, January 9, in order to address the health and mental issues of students, many still in evacuation centers.
But teaching and non-teaching school personnel of the Department of Education Oroquieta Division are to report for work on January 4 to ensure classrooms are ready to welcome learners back after a three-week break.
Officially, Christmas vacation for the education sector started December 19 and would end on Tuesday, January 3.
Dr. Roberto D. Napiere Jr., Assistant Schools Division Superintendent of DedEd Oroquieta, said that in a virtual meeting Thursday, December 29, their division disaster risk reduction and management coordinator reported that 152 classrooms were damaged by floodwaters.
Napiere said that of total, 40 are categorized as “totally damaged,” 54 with “major damage,” and 58 with “minor damage” yet unsafe for use by learners.
Earlier, DepEd Oroquieta Chief-of-Staff Jay B. Roferos disclosed that 10 schools in the division are not ready for the January 4 resumption of classes, though the Misamis Occidental National High School may open its gates on Thursday, January 5.
Four of the 10 need time to recover from the flooding until January 11 and these are Oroquieta City Central Elementary School (OCCES) – with close to 3,000 learners, San Vicente Bajo ES, Sarancial Mialen ES, and Taboc ES.
Three others want to resume classes on January 16: Poblacion 2 ES, Taboc ES, and Vicente Flores Memorial ES, but Canubay ES and Layawan ES may hold in-person classes starting Monday, January 9, next week.
These schools have the option for distance learning mode, Roferos said.
For this school year, all public elementary and high schools are to hold 203 days of classes from August 22, 2022 to July 7, 2023. Midyear break is set February 6 to 10, this year. (MT)
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