DepEd seeks help to fix quake-damaged bldgs

Education officials in Central Visayas  need help to repair and  rehabilitate  school buildings and classrooms damaged by last week’s earthquake, esepcially in Negros Oriental, where classes have not resumed in many areas.

About 400 classrooms and 200 school buildings were affected by the earthquake, said Dr. Recaredo Borgonia, Department of Education Central Visayas director.

Of  400 classrooms, 300 were  destroyed while 100 were partially damaged.

Funds for rehabilitation and repairs  will be taken from the P50-million Quick Response Fund (QRF), a national fund of DepEd  which is used mainly during  calamities.

However, the fund is not enough, Borgonia said.

DepEd 7 will be tapping NGOs, local governments and  the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to assist in rebuilding.

Borgonia said most of the schools in Negros Oriental such as those in Guihulngan, La Libertad, Tayasan and Jimalalud have not resumed  classes yet.

For the rest of the region,  classes have resumed in makeshift structures where damage was reported.

Students will be given makeup classes if they’ve not been meeting  since last week.

Each student should  attend a  minimum of 202 school days in a year.

He said  DepEd-7 also collected voluntary contributions worth P300,000  from teachers, students and employees.

This will be  distributed to the affected teachers and pupils at Negros Oriental.

Relief goods will also be distributed to the victims./Correspondent Fe Marie D. Dumaboc