Dangerous Baguio school buildings

EDITORIAL

Standards and specifications of school buildings in Baguio City as prescribed by the Dept. of Education could be hazardous and dangerous. 

This, according to city officials like Mayor Mauricio Domogan who questioned the education department’s central office for insisting to implement uniform project plans and specifications for school buildings in public elementary and high schools the city which he said, do not conform with the situation in the locality and in violation of approved comprehensive master development of said schools.

He said the local government receives negative reports from school officials often regarding questionable design of school structures being implemented by the education department which does not conform with the prevailing situation in the city considering project specifications are only suitable for lowland areas but not applicable to the mountainous terrain in the city and other parts of the Cordillera.

 He said education officials should take note of this as erecting such buildings could be dangerous. He added he had “raised the matter with education officials but it seems the said concern fell on deaf ears.”

Earlier, school officials of the Irisan National High School aired their grievance against a project being implemented by the education department’s central office within the school compound that seemed not to conform with the limited land area of the school that prompted them to raise questions on the project design considering that it will affect the comprehensive master development plan of the school.

According to him, the education department’s uniform design for school buildings needs an allocation of P1.5 million per structure but in the case of the city, the said budget will not be sufficient because of the need to do other work such as excavation and slope protection to make structures sturdy.

 He said the problem of the city and regional offices of the education department on the project plans and specifications emanating from the central office without consultation with concerned offices had been raised by local officials with Education Secretary Leonor Briones but no concrete action has been done to address the valid concern of city project implementors.

According to the mayor, failure of the central office to consider the plight of school officials on the ground will definitely result to derailment of comprehensive master development plans of schools and the incomplete structures that will be built aside from their questionable structural integrity.

With this situation, the city government particularly the city council could summon education officials to shed light on this and set measures to address the matter.

Buildings that are substandard have no place in school grounds. These are dangerous and pose danger to lives of students and teachers.