Cordillera school opening set August 22 despite earthquake
>> Wednesday, August 24, 2022
By Beatrice Pinlac
LA
TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Schools in the Cordillera Administrative Region will
reopen on August 22 as scheduled despite the powerful magnitude 7 earthquake
that struck Abra province and devastated parts of northern Luzon.
Dept. of Education Cordillera director Estela Cariño said schools must follow the start date announced earlier by Vice President and concurrent Education Secretary Sara Duterte.
Cariño said despite the worst-case scenario of totally damaged schools or teachers or students experiencing psychological trauma from the earthquake, DepEd cannot delay school reopening.
“So whether the school is totally damaged, teachers are not psychologically ready, some learners are not psychologically ready, we will have to start classes by August 22, 2022,” she told reporters during a press conference on Tuesday.
Cariño urged parents and stakeholders “to understand the situation and help, so [they’ll] be able to still deliver quality education amid the effects of the earthquake.”
She also noted that psychosocial support will be available from August 15 to 19 for teachers and learners affected by the earthquake.
Meanwhile, Cariño outlined DepEd – CAR’s plans for several other situations in earthquake-hit schools:
In totally damaged schools with physically and emotionally ready teachers and learners, they will be implementing the hybrid learning modality — a mix of self-learning modules and online or offline modalities offered through their HyTEQ project.
On the other hand, schools with damaged but usable buildings were instructed to hold in-person classes, focusing on English, Science, and Math.
The face-to-face classes will be offered to schools with no damage or surplus classrooms or buildings.
“Students can be enrolled in other schools, but they will be having classes in another school,” Cariño added.
Duterte said around P1.4 billion is required to repair 451 classrooms destroyed in the recent earthquake in Abra.
She added repairing schools damaged by previous calamities like Typhoon Odette is ongoing.
DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said Tuesday that it’s all systems go for the reopening of schools across the country on 22 August.
“Tuloy tuloy na ang pagbabalik eskwela sa August 22,” Poa said during a press briefing in Malacañang.
“Our learners are excited to return to in-person classes,” he added. Some 13.152 million enrolled learners will resume face-to-face classes in the new schoolyear.
To allay health concerns, DepEd Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte has given explicit instructions to DepEd regional offices to coordinate with regional offices of the Dept. of Health “para makapag-roll out ng counseling for unvaccinated and mobile vaccines,” said Poa.
DepEd will continue to implement a non-discriminatory policy for learners as well as teaching and non-teaching personnel when it comes to vaccination.
“Walang separate guidelines for those vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals; voluntary pa rin ang paningin natin sa vaccination,” explained Poa.
Dr. Anna Lisa Ong-Lim of the DOH said that as students resume face-to-face classes, compliance with minimum public health standards should continue to be observed.
In areas in Northern Luzon recently hit by a 7.0 earthquake, students will be provided with temporary learning spaces while DepEd said it will ask the Department of Budget and Management for additional funds to repair damaged schools and facilities.
Dept. of Education Cordillera director Estela Cariño said schools must follow the start date announced earlier by Vice President and concurrent Education Secretary Sara Duterte.
Cariño said despite the worst-case scenario of totally damaged schools or teachers or students experiencing psychological trauma from the earthquake, DepEd cannot delay school reopening.
“So whether the school is totally damaged, teachers are not psychologically ready, some learners are not psychologically ready, we will have to start classes by August 22, 2022,” she told reporters during a press conference on Tuesday.
Cariño urged parents and stakeholders “to understand the situation and help, so [they’ll] be able to still deliver quality education amid the effects of the earthquake.”
She also noted that psychosocial support will be available from August 15 to 19 for teachers and learners affected by the earthquake.
Meanwhile, Cariño outlined DepEd – CAR’s plans for several other situations in earthquake-hit schools:
In totally damaged schools with physically and emotionally ready teachers and learners, they will be implementing the hybrid learning modality — a mix of self-learning modules and online or offline modalities offered through their HyTEQ project.
On the other hand, schools with damaged but usable buildings were instructed to hold in-person classes, focusing on English, Science, and Math.
The face-to-face classes will be offered to schools with no damage or surplus classrooms or buildings.
“Students can be enrolled in other schools, but they will be having classes in another school,” Cariño added.
Duterte said around P1.4 billion is required to repair 451 classrooms destroyed in the recent earthquake in Abra.
She added repairing schools damaged by previous calamities like Typhoon Odette is ongoing.
DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said Tuesday that it’s all systems go for the reopening of schools across the country on 22 August.
“Tuloy tuloy na ang pagbabalik eskwela sa August 22,” Poa said during a press briefing in Malacañang.
“Our learners are excited to return to in-person classes,” he added. Some 13.152 million enrolled learners will resume face-to-face classes in the new schoolyear.
To allay health concerns, DepEd Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte has given explicit instructions to DepEd regional offices to coordinate with regional offices of the Dept. of Health “para makapag-roll out ng counseling for unvaccinated and mobile vaccines,” said Poa.
DepEd will continue to implement a non-discriminatory policy for learners as well as teaching and non-teaching personnel when it comes to vaccination.
“Walang separate guidelines for those vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals; voluntary pa rin ang paningin natin sa vaccination,” explained Poa.
Dr. Anna Lisa Ong-Lim of the DOH said that as students resume face-to-face classes, compliance with minimum public health standards should continue to be observed.
In areas in Northern Luzon recently hit by a 7.0 earthquake, students will be provided with temporary learning spaces while DepEd said it will ask the Department of Budget and Management for additional funds to repair damaged schools and facilities.
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