Talisay schools rise from the ashes

Parents, students and community volunteers   yesterday joined hands to refurbish two public schools in Talisay City that were razed  last March.

Armed with brooms, hammers and  hand tools,  they trooped  to the  Candulawan Elementary School and Candulawan National High School to  put together  what was left of classrooms that were destroyed by fire.

Many parents and students were already in the campuses two hours before the  8 a.m. official start of this year’s Brigada Eskwela.

The  enthusiasm was built up weeks before the annual nationwide school clean-up after a  information campaign was made through  announcements made during Sunday Mass in Candulawan’s chapel, Marianne Bacalso, school head of the Candulawan National High School, said.

Her counterpart in the Candulawan Elementary School Vilma Mantua agreed.

The fire that destroyed the two schools on graduation day made people more determined to  close ranks and look forward to this year’s Brigada Eskwela.

“The opening of our Brigada Eskwela was so fun. You could  see the enthusiasm and camaraderie of students,” Mantua said.

Bacalso said volunteers were so enthusiastic that some   started  fixing armchairs and cleaning up the debris in classrooms even before 8 a.m.

“Their excitement showed how interested they were to come back to school,” Bacalso said.

“It’s the initiative of the parents to help the school. We were even unable to do our caravan to call them to the campus, as planned, because all of them were already here,” Bacalso added.

Just the same, as the clock struck 8 a.m. they paused from their labor to hold a  formal ceremony opening the Brigada Eskwela.

Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials, members of the Parish Youth Coordinating Council and parents-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program – the government’s primary anti-poverty program participated in the program.

There they talked about plans for the next school year that  starts  on June 3.

Bacalso said they may have to schedule multiple shift class schedules to accommodate all classes.

Although there are already funds for the construction of replacement classrooms, Bacalso said the election ban had delayed the start of the project.

Instead, the project may start in July after the election ban is lifted.

Bacalso said they have secured funding for this project – a two-story school building – from outgoing 1st district Rep. Eduardo Gullas.

The Department of Education is also set to approve the budget for a three-story school building. Bacalso said this may not take long as it will no longer pass through the usual bidding process as it will be funded by the education department’s quick response fund.

Six temporary classrooms will be built in the covered court of the school to accommodate students.

Bacalso said they will implement two class shifts per day.

Grades 4 – 6 pupils will be on the first shift and they will be using the covered court from 6 a.m. to 12 noon. While, grades 1 – 3, will start the second shift at 12 noon to 6 p.m.

Bacalso however anticipated a decrease in students this year because of the fire.

“I am expecting to have lesser enrollees this year, but I have already explained it to our parents and students to just wait for a little while and sacrifice a little until the buildings will be finished,” Bacalso said.

She said that as of yesterday, 50 percent of the students had already enrolled. Last year, they had more than 800 students enrolled. /Christine Emily L. Pantaleon, Correspondent