BAGUIO CITY – School officials, faculty and parents of the Sto. Tomas National High School lashed out at the contractor of the construction of one of its school buildings for failure to stop the unabated smoking being done by its laborers that cause inconvenience among the students, especially during school hours.
In a petition submitted to Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, the petitioners claimed that since the project of Jomarcann Construction started in the property of the Sto. Tomas National High School started in January 2018, they have continuously observed the firm’s laborers smoking inside the school premises anytime they wish to do so.
Worst, they claimed the smoke from cigarettes enter the classrooms and repeated verbal requests from school officials were made to the contractor and the laborers for them to refrain from smoking but their requests fell on deaf ears.
Sto. Tomas National High School has 2 on-going projects, one of which is being undertaken by Jomarcann Construction and the project site is located beside the tech-voc laboratory and Grade 8 classrooms.
Initially, school officials allowed laborers of the contractor to camp near the classrooms with the condition that they will observe proper decorum and obey existing ordinances against smoking and the implementation of liquor ban in schools and transfer to the building once the first and second floors are constructed.
The petition stated the failure of the laborers to comply with the aforesaid conditions prompted parents to file a resolution for the immediate transfer of the laborers’ camp wherein a copy was forwarded to the Department of Public Works and Highways – Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO).
Subsequently, the DPWH-BCDEO wrote the contractor ordering the immediate transfer of his laborers quarters but the quarters remain unattended and smoke continuously enter the classrooms of the school which endanger the health of the students and teachers.
The petitioners expressed disappointment on the contention of the engineers of the contractor who claimed no one among their laborers smoke during class hours.
The concerned school officials, barangay officials, parents and teachers requested the local chief executive to allow personnel of the City Health Services Office to conduct an immediate and discrete monitoring of the school site to validate their claim that personnel of the contractor smoke inside the school compound and for the imposition of the appropriate penalties on violators of the city’s anti-smoking ordinance.
Sources claimed that arrogant engineers of the contractor even challenged the petitioners to file the complaint against them on their concern with the DPWH-BCDEO so that it will be used as a justification for the suspension of work in the project site that will affect the completion of the building to be used by the students for their classes among other major school activities.
The petitioners expressed confidence on the ability of Mayor Domogan to resolve the impasse between them and the contractor to avoid delays in the project with guaranteed healthy environment in the school premises.
By HENT