Mandaue starts school maintenance works

VOLUNTEER parents of students of the biggest public high school in Mandaue City started minor repair and beatification works of the school’s classrooms in time for the June 4 opening of classes.

“We provided the manpower and the materials needed. We hope to finish everything in one week,” said Vic Suliva, president of Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) of Mandaue City Comprehensive National High School during the launching of “Brigada Eskwela,” a school maintenance program of the Department of Education involving teachers, parents, students and other stakeholders.

Assistant Education Secretary Elena Ruiz who led a caravan from Naga City, Cebu to Danao City dropped by the school to implement of the program.

Acting Mandaue City Mayor Glenn Bercede and acting Vice Mayor Jimmy Lumapas were also present to help the PTA on their work.

The school’s PTA members divided the work while parents painted the walls. The fathers helped hire carpenters for window repairs.

“This is my simple way of helping to provide quality education to our children,” said Paz Byker, a mother of an incoming first year and third year students.

But school principal Reina Perez said they are faced with a major problem, the 24-classroom building built out of light materials 26 years ago was declared unfit for occupancy by the city engineering office and has to be demolished to give way to a new building.

According to Perez, pending the demolition of the building, they utilized the ground floor area.

“We have to implement a two-shift program for the third and fourth year students,” Perez said. They will implement the MWF classes for third years and T-TH-S for fourth years and two day-module for both levels.