School cleanup starts; classroom lack cited

BRIGADA ESKWELA 2015

Parents and other volunteers carrying brooms line up as they prepare to clean the Inayawan Elementary school during this year’s Brigada Eskwela. (CDN Photo/Junjie Mendoza)

As early as 9 a.m. yesterday, 39-year-old housewife Elisa Agad went to the Carreta Elementary School for the start of Brigada Eskwela 2015.

The activity, scheduled from May 18 to 23, is a nationwide general cleanup of public schools before the opening of this year’s classes on June 1.

Amid the cleanup activities, officials in Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Cebu cities admit there’s still a shortage of classrooms.

For Agad, however, a mother of five, it’s enough that two of her children are among the 1,000 enrollees of the elementary school. The problem on the lack of classrooms is farthest from her mind.

A few hours later, Agad hurriedly left for the Mabolo National High School to also do her share of cleaning there. Two other children are enrolled in the high school, which is just a few kilometers away from the Carreta Elementary School.

As part of yesterday’s activities, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama inspected  abandoned schools damaged by previous disasters.

He went to Busay Elementary School, which has become a geohazard danger zone since the ground continues to move. He also went to the  Sapangdaku Elementary School, which is a floodprone area.

Rama ordered Councilor Dave Tumulak, chairman of the Cebu City Risk Reduction Management Council, to address the problems of these schools promptly using the disaster funds of the city.

Classes in Busay are held in the barangay’s sports complex while classes in Sapangdaku are held at the barangay hall’s annex building.

In Lapu-Lapu City, Vice Mayor Marcial Ycong stood in for Mayor Paz Radaza.

He cited the lack of at least 200 classrooms due to the new enrollees.

A family help clean-up Tejero Elementary School. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Radaza also cited the ongoing construction of 44 classrooms – 16 in Babag National High School, 12 in Bangkal Elementary School and 16 in Mactan National High School.

Ycong read a message from Radaza encouraging the parents and volunteers to help in the cleanup.

In Mandaue City, the Subangdaku Elementary School was  the focus for this year’s Brigada Eskwela.

Teachers worked harder this year to coordinate with parents and volunteers to create an organized Brigada Eskwela.

They hoped to get for the third straight year the Most Organized School award.

Meanwhile, Mandaue Schools Division superintendent Virginia Zapanta said the schools in Mandaue lack  at least 346 classrooms for kindergarten, elementary, and secondary levels.

“We will just address the shortage by holding classes in shifts,” Zapanta said.