AN EARLY morning fire damaged the main building of the Dalaguete National High School yesterday morning, putting off a special test for those who dream of a high school diploma.
Firefighters estimated the damage to property at P2 million.
The blaze wiped out the school’s computers, administrative documents and test materials that would have been used for the accreditation and equivalency test yesterday.
The examination would have started at 8 a.m.
Would-be test takers and teachers from other towns were surprised to see the school building completely razed when they arrived.
SFO1 Danilo Sumbilon, deputy fire marshal and investigator, told Sun.Star Cebu the fire already ate up the interior of the building when it was discovered.
A janitor, who had gone to the school early to start cleaning up in preparation for the test, noticed the flames only after smoke began coming out through the roof.
Sumbilon said that even if their station was not far, the whole building was already on fire when they reached the school. Firemen had to bore holes in the wall to enter the building and douse the flames.
Sumbilon said they were not sure yet which room the fire originated from, but are looking at the electrical connection as a possible cause.
The school was closed and nobody was around at the time of the fire.
Test papers for the annual accreditation and equivalency test went up in smoke. The fire also destroyed 35 computers, multi-media systems and students’ records.
Department of Education (DepEd) 7 Acting Director Recaredo Borgonia confirmed the damage reached about P2 million, excluding the cost of the test materials.
Examinees were asked to leave the school and come back when new test papers are sent by the DepEd central office.
“Tests in that school district will have to be moved (to another date) said.
Dalaguete National High School is one of the venues identified by the DepEd 7 for the equivalency tests, which are administered in test centers in every school district.
In Central Visayas, there are 19 school districts, 10 of which are in Cebu.
The test allows out-of-school youths a chance to receive a high school diploma. It is multiple-choice and designed to measure the competencies of those who have not finished elementary or secondary education.
Elementary and high school dropouts, who are at least 11 years old and 15 years old, respectively, can take the test. Other takers of the test are industry-based workers, housewives, drivers and housemaids, DepEd said.
Takers who pass the test are given a diploma certified by Education Secretary Jesli Lapus. This will certify that the examinee is as competent as a high school graduate.
Lapus, in a press statement, said that the test “gives a chance to both in- and out-of-school youths to pursue college. Passers, like those schooled in the formal system, are even eligible for government positions.” (MEA/EPB)
