TACLOBAN CITY – The head teacher of a remote public school in Catarman town, Northern Samar province is calling for help for the school’s students who were affected when a massive flooding struck the province last week.
Harold Fabile, the head teacher of Hinatad Elementary School, said that all of the school’s 242 students have lost all their school materials due to the flood that reached up to the roofs of the houses and the school buildings.
He also disclosed that all the equipment and supplies of the school, located 15 kms away from the town proper, were also destroyed due to the flooding incident last week.
Two of the school’s classrooms were also destroyed due to the calamity, Fabile added.
And with all the learning and instructional materials damaged, they had initiated a fund drive to help their students, in particular, by accepting essential school supplies like pad papers, notebooks, pencils, ball pens, ruler, crayons, eraser, books, food packs and toys.
Fabile added that they also accept donations like bond papers, printers, TV and electric fans for their classrooms and printing of modules/activity materials.
At present, the school has implemented a modular mode of teaching due to the present condition of their school, the head teacher said.
Meantime, the Department of Education (DepEd) regional information officer Jasmin Calzita said most of the schools affected by the heavy downpour of rain due to shear line and low pressure area had already resumed their face-to-face classes.
“Those that are still under flood are advised to implement blended learning,” Calzita added.
At least 39 schools with a total of 10, 276 students and 352 personnel were affected by the flooding last week that hit Northern Samar, the northern part of Eastern Samar and Samar provinces according to Calzita.
Heavily affected school was in the municipality of Jipapad in Eastern Samar.
In the initial report from the Northern Samar school division, at least 43 classrooms in the province are totally damaged, 122 with major damage, and 422 with minor damage.
The report also stated that 88 temporary learning spaces were also needed in the province for students to temporarily use while waiting for the repair or construction of new classrooms.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
