Grade six pupils begin face-to-face classes at the Cesar M. Cabahug Elementary School in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City on Monday, March 28, 2022. | CDN Digital file photo
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Partitions will be installed in at least 39 classrooms in different public schools in Mandaue City that will be used as clustered precincts in the Barangay and Sanguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) scheduled on October 30.
Engr. Marivic Cabigas, head of Mandaue City’s Department of General Services (DGS), said they will start to install the partitions next week and hope to complete this within a period of 30 days or shortly before the BSKE.
Cabigas said they are now coordinating with the Mandaue City Schools Division on how to go about the partitioning works since public school classes are also set to start next week.
“[Ang] partition rooms temporary ra. Kuhaon ra dayun [na] after [the] election kay kinahanglan man gyud ta ana og sakto nga spacing for it to be considered a classroom conducive for learning,” said Councilor Malcolm Sanchez, the chairman of the Committee on Education of the City Council.
In an earlier interview, Atty. Annafleur Gujilde, Mandaue City’s election officer, said they need a total of 660 classrooms or cluster precincts to accommodate voters in the BSKE.
Gujilde reported the need for more clustered precincts following the increase in the number of voters who are set to cast their votes in the coming elections.
A total of 236,668 voters aged 18-years-old and above are registered for the barangay election. On the other hand, a total of 76,781 voters who are between 15 to 30-years-old are also qualified to vote in the SK election.
In order to make additional classrooms available in the BSKE, DGS has set aside an allocation of P836,000 for the partitioning of the 39 pre-identified classrooms that will be used as clustered precincts in the elections.
Cabigas said they are only waiting for the final instructions from Atty. Jamaal James Calipayan, the Mandaue City Administrator, for work to commence.
In order to reduce discomfort among the school children, Cabigas said, they plan to build the needed partitions at the DGS compound and deliver these to the particular school for installation.
Cabigas said that partitions will be made of plywood. These will be designed in such a way that these would not touch the ceiling. Each of the partitions will also have trolleys for easy movement.
“Para masibog-sibog ra, makuha ra [dayon],” she said.
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