Students of the Bitlang Integrated School participate in limited face-to-face classes on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. CDN Digital photo | Delta Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government is encouraging the private sector to help in rebuilding Odette-damaged public schools in preparation for limited face-to-face classes.
The Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu City division recently asked the city government to help them rebuild public schools because of the extent of damage sustained from Typhoon Odette was one of the major problems public schools were facing in the planned return of face-to-face classes.
Dr. Rhea Angtud, DepEd Cebu City superintendent, said that while the Local School Board (LSB) had pledged to help fix minor damage, the major damage would cost a lot more.
Most of the damaged schools are from the mountain barangays including Barangays Sinsin and Sudlon II, among others.
In a phone conference, Mayor Michael Rama said that the city government would ask the private sector through their corporate social responsibility to fund the repairs.
“I wish tabangan ko ni (Vice Mayor) Dondon Hontiveros kay siyay committee on education to bring the private sector, even the Chamber of Commerce para motabang,” said the mayor.
(I wish that (Vice Mayor) Dondon Hontiveros because he is from the committee on education will help me to bring the private sector, even the Chamber of Commerce to help.)
Adopt-a-school is a common program for the private sector and the mayor wishes that the corporations will do exactly that and fund the repair of damaged schools.
Rama urged them to take the initiative to help the schools in their community as a way of giving back to the areas where their businesses thrived.
Furthermore, Rama will be seeking the help of the national government to find more funds for the rehabilitation of the schools.
“Mangita tag kwarta sa national and put all of these together,” said the mayor.
(We will seek money from the national government and put all of these together.)
The mayor said he understood the need to repair the school before the next school year as the city was preparing for the full return of the face-to-face classes, hopefully, in the next school year in September 2022.
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