Saturday, August 04, 2007 Busay school overdue for condemnation
THE Busay Elementary School building affected by a landslide last Thursday will not be used pending the implementation of safety measures that will protect students from future incidents.
Cebu City’s education consultant Joy Augustus Young revealed that the building should have been “condemned” long ago.
But the building continues to be used because of delays in the purchase of a road right-of-way for a new school site below the barangay’s sports complex.
He said the City has to discuss the matter again with former senator Ernesto “Boy” Herrera, who agreed to expropriate his lot. Herrera asked to be given time to consult his family first.
A school building was already built on the new site and is being used by other elementary school students.
Young said the affected building was considered condemned not because it is structurally unsound, but because they intended to transfer to the new site.
Buildings
He said classes held there were supposed to be transferred to the site below the sports complex had the City been able to build more school buildings.
But all classes could not be transferred because of the lack of classrooms. The City failed to build the rooms because heavy equipment and trucks bringing construction materials could not reach the site because of the road right-of-way issues, Young said.
The buildings in the landslide site were supposed to be torn down, with the walls left to serve as “buffer” against possible soil movement.
“Ang ubang lot owners gi-donate or nagpabayad gamay, token amount lang. Ang kulang kaning yuta ni senator Boy Herrera. Okay ra man siya, pero i-consult sa kuno niya iyang family. Wala na lang ko ka-contact niya (Some lot owners sold their properties for a small amount. The only parcel left is the former senator’s property. We still have to get in touch with him for that),” he said.
Young said that when a building was built in the site below the sports complex, the workers had to carry on their backs the materials, which was time-consuming.
Principal Jeanne Egger told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday that they have adopted emergency classes by holding 6 a.m. to 12 noon sessions and 12 noon to 6 p.m. sessions for grades two and three students.
Building
The abandoned building was used by grades two and three students when a landslide caused trees to topple, with one landing on the roof and frightening students at 2 p.m. the other day.
Alvin Santillana of the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council (CCDCC) said they visited the school site yesterday and recommended that trees near the other grades two and three building need to be trimmed to prevent a similar incident.
He also said that a riprap should be constructed on the landslide area to prevent the soil to collapse.
He said that City Councilor Gerardo Carillo will ask the council to direct the City Engineer’s Office to prepare the program of works and estimates for the riprap.
“Nihangyo ang principal nga pamutlan sad ang mga kahoy likod sa laing building. Maayo gani walay klase karon (yesterday) hangtud Lunes. Estoryahan na namo sa CDCC unsay angayang buhaton (The principal requested that the trees be trimmed. We will discuss what else needs to be done),” he said.
Young said funds for the construction of the new building will not be a problem. The City could even tap its calamity funds instead of the Special Education Fund.
“Wala may problema sa budget, dali ra na makuha. Ang atimanonon ang road-right-of way (Funds for the construction is not a problem, it’s the road right-of-way that we have to work on),” he said. (RHM)
