Fire razes 2-classroom school building in Kidapawan City

The two-classroom school building at the Isidoro Lonzaga Memorial Elementary School in Barangay Magsaysay, Kidapawan City that was gutted by fire on June 21. (Photos courtesy of the Isidoro Lonzaga Memorial Elementary School)

KIDAPAWAN CITY — A fire of still unknown origin gutted a two-classroom school building in a remote village of this city on Friday, education officials said.

City Schools Division Superintendent Romelito Flores said the school building of the Isidoro Lonzaga Memorial Elementary School in Barangay Magsaysay went ablaze about 4 p.m. of June 21.

Flores said the damaged school building was for Grades 4 and 5 pupils.

“Teachers and students noticed a spark at the ceiling of the classrooms before the fire,” Flores said in a radio interview on Saturday.

Fortunately, the students were already out of their classrooms before the fire broke out, he added.

Firefighters declared a fire out about 5 p.m.

“Classrooms were burned down but our desire to teach was not burned,” Flores told teachers and parents during a meeting at the school on Saturday.

“In spite of the incident, classes will continue on Monday, June 24, for the affected learners, Grades 4 and 5,” he added.

Flores said the affected students would be temporarily housed at the school’s gymnasium when they return to school on Monday.

Flores also announced that each school within the Kidapawan City School district agreed to donate one or two plastic arm chairs to be used by the affected Grades 4 and 5 pupils.

The incident was the third fire to hit schools in Cotabato province.

On June 6, a fire broke out at a building of the Padega Elementary School in this city, damaging four classrooms.

On April 3, a fire also hit a school building in Pikit, Cotabato hours before the school’s graduation ceremonies. (Editor: Leti Boniol)