Schools used as evacuation centers by internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by the Mt. Kanlaon eruption in La Castellana, Negros Occidental are holding more face-to-face classes this new school year after hundreds of IDPs have moved out and transferred to other shelters.
“The number of face-to-face classes has increased. Last year, they met only once a week. Now it is three times a week. They have Monday, Wednesday and Friday and Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday,” Ian Arnold Arnaez, spokesperson of the Department of Education (DepEd)-Negros Occidental, said in an interview on Thursday, June 19.
Still, the DepEd-Negros Occidental is allowing IDPs to spend the night in classrooms and return to their tent shelters during the day.
They had been staying in four public schools since the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon on December 9 last year.
“Upon request of the mayor, they can probably be accommodated already,” Arnaez said.
Lawyer Jasper Tadeo Tuala, administrative officer V of DepEd-Negros Occidental, said Schools Division Superintendent Anthony Liobet granted the request of Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan for such an arrangement to provide better overnight accommodations for the IDPs.
“He allowed it since the request is reasonable and since the IDPs have no other place to go to. The only condition is that face-to-face learning delivery should not be hampered,” he added.
Tuala said classes in elementary and high school levels are usually done by 5:00 p.m. or even earlier and during the day, learners start to arrive by around 5:30 a.m.
Arnaez said La Castellana Elementary School now has more available classrooms for face-to-face person classes after a number of IDPs vacated the school.
Those who are residents of Barangay Cabagna-an were transferred to La Castellana National High School Senior High School Campus.
“They are staying in tent shelters set up in the school covered court and the adjacent vacant lot. When it is raining, they are allowed to use the vacant senior high classrooms,” Arnaez said.
However, IDPs with special needs such as senior citizens and persons with disabilities have remained at La Castellana Elementary School, which is near the municipal evacuation, upon the request of the mayor.
About 12 classrooms have been assigned to them and makeshift bathrooms have also been set up for their use.
Arnaez said the Don Felix Robles Elementary School has been totally vacated by the IDPs.
The La Castellana National High School Junior High Campus continues to host the IDPs from communities located within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone.
“It was also upon the request of the mayor since there are no available shelters to accommodate them,” Arnaez said.
He said the school administration has set up additional learning spaces using its own funds and borrowed canopy tents from the municipal government to be used as temporary classrooms.
During a coordination meeting in La Castellana on Tuesday, June 17, Regional Director Ramir Uytico of the DepEd-Negros Island Region reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to ensuring continuous learning in areas affected by the ongoing unrest of Mt. Kanlaon.
“We cannot allow any calamity or emergency, including this one, to disrupt our children’s learning, just as we stood firm in ensuring continuity during the pandemic,” he said.
IDPs who have decamped the school-based evacuation centers include at least 700 individuals from Barangay Cabagna-an; 463 individuals from Barangay Mansalanao; 214 individuals from Barangay Sag-ang; 244 individuals from Barangay Biak Na Bato; and 171 individuals from Barangay Masulog. (PNA)