Mandatory insurance for gov’t buildings pushed

THE Cebu City Council yesterday approved a resolution introduced by Councilor Gerardo Carillo asking Mayor Michael Rama to enroll government buildings for insurance coverage.

Councilor Margot Osmeña said insuring government buildings, equipment and other properties was mentioned in the 2012 Annual Audit Observation Report of the Commission on Audit (COA).

Carillo’s resolution also asked the Local School Board and the Department of Education (DepEd) to make sure that all school buildings are equipped with two stairways for entrance and exit.

“We’re requesting the Office of the Building Official (OBO) and the Office of the City Engineer to report as to their compliance with the said measure in order to secure the lives and ensure the safety of students in all public schools in the City of Cebu,” he said.

Carillo joined DepEd and local school board engineers in inspecting city schools for assessment in the wake of the Oct. 15 earthquake.

The councilor said even three-story school buildings only have one stairway.

“If the earthquake occurred in a school day it would have resulted in a stampede,” he said.

Rama said he wanted to institute a policy requiring school buildings with more than one stairway.

But Rama said he was told by former vice mayor and school board head Joy Augustus Young that this was not necessary because the city is not prone to earthquakes.

In yesterday’s session, the city council also passed a resolution introduced by Councilor Alvin Dizon asking the OBO and the City Risk Reduction and Management Council to conduct mandatory inspections of private and public school buildings.

The Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) has so far identified 25 structures that were badly damaged by the earthquake and should be considered as “unsafe for occupancy.”

Dizon said all public and private schools, colleges and universities in the city should institutionalize their fire and earthquake drills to prepare their students when calamity strikes.

The Department of Education (DepEd) regional office said tents, computer labs and kitchens will be used as alternative classrooms while teachers will take double shifts when classes resume on Nov. 4.

As of 1:00 p.m. yesterday, the DepEd said there are 804 classrooms in Cebu province that were unsafe to occupy in the wake of the Oct. 15 earthquake.

“They can use non-academic rooms like computer laboratories or ktichen laboratories as temporary classrooms,” DepEd Provincial Superintendent Dr. Arden Monisit said.

He said he submitted the list and assessment of the structural engineers to the DepEd central office since they will also provide tents that can be used as temporary classrooms.

“There are also non-government organizations (NGOs) that are going to donate tents for the schools,” Dr. Monisit said.

He said it’s up to the teachers and school officials to work out the schedule. First classes start from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and second classes start from 2 p.m to 7 p.m.

“There is a possibility that the repairs of classrooms will be done by the end of the school year,” he said. Correspondents Edison delos Angeles and Michelle Joy L. Padayhag