In-person graduation rites get OK from EOC Cebu City

Councilor Joel Garganera, deputy chief implementor of Emergency Operations Center (EOC), says they are now allowing in-person graduation rites of students. | Screen grab from Garganera video

CEBU CITY, Philippines— The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) of Cebu City has expressed confidence on the prospect of having face-to-face or in-person graduation rites.

Councilor Joel Garganera, deputy chief of EOC, said that it’s about time to finally hold in-person graduation ceremonies for the elementary and secondary levels.

“Actually, ang DepEd (Department of Education), they rely on the LGU (local government unit). It’s about time na sad for the last two years makita nimo ning mga bataa wala gyud ni nakahimamat sa ilang classmates,” said Garganera.

(Actually, DepEd (Department of Education), they rely on the LGU (local government unit). It’s also about time for the last years that these children can meet their classmates personally.)

Garganera advises that the ceremony be held outside or in an open area as much as possible now that the city has less restrictive safety protocols.

“Pero if naa man gani gym, okay ra man sad na kay dili man na enclosed pero kadtong mga gym bitaw na enclosed or air-conditioned para nako okay ra man pero as much as possible avoid lang ta,” said Garganera.

(If there is a gym, that is okay because that is not enclosed but there are gyms that are enclosed or air-conditioned and fore me it’s still okay but as much as possible let’s avoid that.)

Furthermore, he expects that minimum health standards should already be a ‘muscle memory’ for the public in maintaining safety.

Apart from this, Garganera said that they were on-board on the conduct of face-to-face classes but there would still be a lot of work to be done in schools before they could fully implement this.

He said that the some school roofs had been damaged by the super typhoon Odette and that some schools had not restored power yet.

“Mismo and DepEd, they admitted sad ang ilang napagawas pa lang na budget for clearing pa gyud, wala pay rehabilitation but I think by now naa na,” said Garganera.

(DepEd themselves admitted that what they had released yet was still the budget for the clearing, there is nothing for rehabilitation yet, but I think by now they already have it.)

With the rehabilitation budget already on its way, he still expressed difficulty on the lack of manpower for the school damage reconstruction.

He then appealed to the private sectors that this would be the best time to underscore their corporate social responsibility.

“Kung naa man gani gusto mutabang, please coordinate lang with the local school board kay nakulangan gyud silag personnel to address this,” said Garganera.

(If there are those who would want to help, please, coordinate with the local school board because they lack personnel to address this.)

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