The City Schools Division reported that various public elementary and secondary schools in the different parts of the city sustained more or less P10 million worth of damages caused by the magnitude 7 earthquake that shook most parts of Northern Luzon last July 27, 2022.
City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Federico Martin stated that the report on the extent of damages inflicted by the tremor to the different school buildings around the city was already transmitted to the education department’s central office for consideration in the allocation of funds to institute the repairs to the damaged structures.
He said that the consolidated damage report of school buildings was a product of the rapid damage assessment conducted by disaster risk reduction and management focal persons assigned in the different schools in the city.
The education official stipulated that among the notable damages incurred by the school buildings were cracks on the walls, damaged window panes and doors and hairline cracks on the floors which are considered as subject to repair.
On the part of the city government, he revealed that the local school board allocated a still undisclosed amount of funds purposely to initiate the needed repairs to the damaged school buildings for these to be occupied by the learners during the implementation of the limited in-person classes and the full implementation of face-to-face classes by November this year.
According to him, the funds of the local school board will have to be initially used for repairs on the damaged school buildings while awaiting future funding from the central office for major repairs to damaged school buildings to ensure that these will be safe for occupancy by the learners.
Director Martin emphasized that no school building within the jurisdiction of the City Schools Division sustained major damage, except for one elementary school building which is now the subject of evaluation and assessment by the technical personnel of the agency and the city government. By Dexter A. See
