Monday, June 04, 2007 Lahug teachers, children plead for building By Rene H. Martel Sun.Star Staff Reporter
SEVERAL teachers and students begged Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to change his mind and continue the construction of a P15-million school building in the Lahug Elementary School.
The mayor last Friday halted the construction of the four-story, 20-classroom building over an allegation by Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos in last month’s elections that he had failed to give any projects to Lahug.
That angered the mayor, who said the bulk of the City Government’s asphalting project was made in Lahug, specifically on roads leading to Beverly Hills.
The school building project was funded by the school board, where the mayor sits as its chairman. The project will be transferred to Talamban Elementary School.
Aside from stopping the school building’s construction, Osmeña also took back the fuel allocation for trucks and subsidy for the barangay’s garbage collectors.
Appeals
In a random interview with Sun.Star yesterday, teachers and students alike asked that they would just be spared of the last elections’ political backlash.
“Kinahanglanon kaayo namo ang school building. Malooy unta namo ang mayor. Ang ilaha pulitika man na, wala man mi nag-apil-apil ana (We need the schoolbuilding badly. The mayor should pity us. We have nothing to do with their politics),” said a grade five teacher.
A student, who was cleaning the school’s “science park,” appealed for the mayor to listen to what his heart is telling him.
“Kahibalo man siguro na si mayor malooy ba. Malooy lang unta siya namo, wala man miy sala niya (The mayor should pity us. We haven’t done him wrong),” said Grace (real name withheld).
5T students
Lorie (real name withheld) said the same thing, adding that it would be a favor the mayor will give them, as future leaders of the city, if he reconsiders his decision.
Lahug has 180 teachers. With over 5,000 students in the last school year, it has the biggest population among elementary schools in the city.
As an immediate effect of the cancellation of the construction, the two sessions per classroom that the school is implementing will be extended indefinitely.
It also means that instead of just a few sections observing that arrangement, several sections from grades two to four would have to adopt it for the years to come.
The school already made adjustments when the City education consultant ordered the demolition of an old structure to give way to the supposed building, so no major changes were made due to the mayor’s order.
But as a result, the offices of the school principal, the supervisor and the guidance counselor, the library, non-formal education center, and Industrial Arts laboratory were transferred to other spaces, which include classrooms.
Sharing
A room will have to be used as a library half of the day.
The teachers wondered until when they will have to suffer the inconvenience of sharing rooms.
Outgoing School Principal Faviolito Alberca, though, told Sun.Star that they could cope with the situation.
Promoted to supervisor, he starts reporting to the City Division office today.
Imelda Binobo, assistant principal, will temporarily take over while waiting for the Department of Education to finish its ranking of eligible teachers who will replace him.
Alberca admitted it would have been better for the school if the building would be constructed since 20 additional classrooms would be available.
‘Piso-piso’
Lahug currently has 98 classrooms for its elementary school students.
Alberca said more sections will adopt morning and afternoon sessions. And instead of 7 a.m., morning classes will start at 6 a.m. and afternoon sessions will start at 12:30 p.m. instead of 1 p.m.
Specifically, instead of just a few sections from grades one and two, more will have to adopt the system, including the grade four sections.
Industrial Arts teacher Manuel Indig told Sun.Star that they would just use the school gym for their laboratory.
Several students were piling wooden slabs when Sun.Star visited the gym yesterday.
De los Santos is meeting reporters at 7 a.m. today to formally announce the launching of her “piso mo, eskwelahan ko” fund drive that she hopes will raise the P15 million needed to build the new classrooms City Hall will no longer pay for.
