Aquino bothered by rusted fire escape at Iloilo school, orders it fixed

ILOILO CITY – Some twisted rusty bars sticking out the side of an old building at Pavia National High School here caught the attention of President Aquino who wondered aloud what they were for.

“I have been looking at that [thing that] looks like stairs and I’ve been talking to Senator Frank (Drilon) about it. Is that an engineering problem? Or it might be an architectural design?” the President said.

It turned out to be the fire escape for the Pavia National High School’s Learning Resource Center.

“The bottom line is (Education) Secretary Armin Luistro, you should do something about it. Perhaps that should have a right purpose… Brother Armin will make it a real fire escape. We will look for savings to have it done,” Mr. Aquino said.

He continued: “I don’t think it was done during the time of Magellan.”

The audience laughed, then someone onstage said something to the President that made him chuckle.

The fire escape he was told was built during the administration of his mother, the late democracy icon President Corazon C. Aquino, which was from 1986 to 1992.

“Really? That’s why. It was built during my mother’s time, Which is why it really has to be repaired. I might see my mother and who knows what she’ll say to me,” Mr. Aquino laughed.

On Tuesday, the President inaugurated a three-story, 18-classroom building for the national high school, which was constructed under the auspices of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

The building will benefit over 3,000 students of Pavia National High School.

The Pagcor said the students had been holding classes in cramped rooms and even the school’s offices, laboratories and covered courts.

The new building would also serve as an evacuation center during calamities, said principal Delorah Cecilia Fantillo.  SFM