THE Mandaue City government is seeking the help of the private sector to flood-proof the Cesar M. Cabahug Elementary School in sitio Paradise, barangay Looc.
Mayor Jonas Cortes told reporters that the city government is already coordinating with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. to immediately address the flooding problem.
Low-lying classrooms he said will have to be elevated to overcome flooding. Additional classrooms with elevated floors are also set to be built in the school.
“Ug naay mga existing classrooms nga pwede abunuhan, we will do it. Lisud man sad nga ato ng i-vacate kung naa pay portion didto na katukuran ug taas-taas nga mga classrooms,” he said.
(If we can still elevate existing classrooms, we will do it. It would not be wise to abandon the school if there are still areas where we can build elevated classrooms.)
Earlier the city government was considering transfering the school to an adjacent 3,125 square meters lot.
This option however will take years and huge resources to implement.
The school, located in a former fishpond suffers from persistent flooding due to high tide and heavy rainfall. /Jucell Marie P. Cuyos, Reporter