Macasandig mentors search for the displaced

Saturday, January 7, 2012

“BALIK eskwela tuloy na tuloy na.”

This goes the slogan of the Department of Education (DepEd) after the Christmas vacation where at the same time powerful Tropical Storm Sendong had fatally stricken some areas of Cagayan de Oro City.

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This is indeed an excellent gesture for everybody to move on as DepEd Regional Director Luz Almeda challenged Kagay-anons to move on.

But what about the school kids? Where are they after the tragedy?

January 3, 2012, the first day of the journey back to school. The teaching force of Macasandig elementary and high school led by school principal Dr. Arlan Paul R. Reyes together with the pupils launched a program that was highlighted with the lighting of candles for those who died in the flood.

After the said program, the mentors emotionally met their pupils and gathered updates about what they had gone through from Sendong.

They also grabbed the chance to get information from those who survived.

Reymark Lubo, a Grade VI pupil, said he was rescued in Camiguin Island. He shared how his presence of mind contributed to his survival.

Only few of the school’s total population attended school on the first day.

After class dismissal, as per instruction from the school principal, the teachers formed teams to facilitate the search for the large part of students who missed school that day.

The teams were assigned to visit the different evacuation centers in Buena Oro, Mandumol, Tibasak, Macasandig covered court, Camaman- an, South City Central School and Agusan Elementary School.

The said search got a good feedback since on the second day of classes, the percentage of school goers increased.

(The writer is a teacher at the Macasandig Elementary School)