Buhisan school: Mayor Garcia open to suspend face-to-face classes

MGB-7 and CDRRMO found structural risks endangering students and staff

Cracks have formed on the walls and cemented floors of Buhisan Elementary and Night High School, while soil erosion beneath a classroom has raised structural concerns. | Photo by Cebu City PIO/Facebook

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has announced on March 17, that he is considering calling off face-to-face classes at Buhisan Elementary School following alarming geohazard assessments that identified serious structural vulnerabilities in the school buildings.

Garcia said he was waiting for recommendations from the Department of Education (DepEd) before making a final decision but was open to shifting to blended learning to prevent disruptions in students’ education.

“The incident has already been reported to me, and the disaster office has given its recommendations. I have a meeting with DepEd to know what their recommendation is for the school. I am open to calling off face-to-face classes while we retrofit the structures and look for a relocation site for the students,” Garcia said during a press conference on Monday.

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He assured that once he would receive official recommendations from DepEd and other relevant offices, the city would immediately declare whether face-to-face classes should be suspended in favor of online learning.

“As for the relocation, of course, we will consider it, but it will not be easy because Barangay Buhisan is mountainous, and there are only a few areas where a school can be built. Some areas are also landslide-prone, so we have to talk with the barangay officials and DepEd to find a more suitable location,” he added.

Geo-hazard assessment raises concerns

Buhisan Elementary School is at risk of closure and relocation after a geohazard assessment conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-7) and the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) revealed structural deficiencies that posed potential dangers to students and staff.

Earlier inspections by CDRRMO and the Office of the Building Official (OBO) found cracks in the walls, slabs, floors, and beneath the beams of the principal’s office and classrooms.

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MGB-7 recommended additional engineering studies to determine the necessary mitigation measures for landslide hazards.

The bureau also discouraged further development in identified landslide-prone areas, including playgrounds, and suggested the installation of an appropriate drainage system to prevent water from destabilizing the school’s foundation.

“Given the evidence of active slope instability and structural damage, the priority should be the relocation of the school to safer ground to ensure the safety of the students and teachers,” the report stated.

Next steps for the city government

Following MGB-7’s findings, CDRRMO chairman Ramil Ayuman confirmed that a resolution had been drafted requesting the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) and OBO to conduct further structural analysis and identify potential relocation sites.

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Ayuman also noted that the school principal is open to relocation if necessary.

“Niingon siya nga willing ra gyud pud siya but, of course, kinahanglan ni og proper coordination with DepEd, Local School Board, ug sa City Government,” Ayuman said.

(She said that she is willing but, of course, we need proper coordination with DepEd, Local School Board and the city government.)

DEPW Engineer Jonathan Tumulak, who conducted an assessment on March 14, linked the structural damages to poor water management.

He explained that rainwater runoff is seeping into the soil, destabilizing the riprap, and causing the cracks to appear.

“Ang atong rainwater runoff walay tarong agianan, mu sip jud sya sa atong yuta nga maoy nakatulod sa atong riprap nga maoy naka-cause sa cracks,” Tumulak explained.

(Our rainwater runoff has no path, it sipped in the soil that caused it to push our riprap that caused the cracks.)

Tumulak stressed that the site had become too dangerous to continue housing students, recommending relocation if a suitable site would be found.

However, as an immediate solution, he suggested retrofitting the existing structures to reinforce them temporarily while awaiting for the final relocation decision.

“Ato lang sa i-strengthen aron magamit pa nato siya, pero ang main problem, which is katong rainwater management, mao gyud tuy kinahanglan natong i-address,” Tumulak said.

(We will just have to strengthen so that we can still use it, but the main problem, which is the rainwater management, that is what we need to address first.)