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Saturday, October 23, 2004
Education department bans school campings, field trips
By Jay Dooma Balnig
THE death of seven boy scouts during Provincial Tourism Jamborette in San Joaquin, Iloilo on October 16 prompted the Department of Education Provincial Schools Division to suspend all campings and field trips of public schools in the province until further notice.
Iloilo provincial schools superintendent Dr. Raymundo Lapating issued the memorandum.
Aside from issuing a memorandum, Lapating also formed a fact-finding team that will investigate the drowning of the seven boy scouts.
Though the Boys Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) is not under the education department, he said, the boy scouts were students of schools under his jurisdiction.
Those who died were Neridyn Barcenas, 14; Jerril Semic, 14; Jeorge Selibio, 14; Philip Sidney Mucas, 14; Alberto Cordero, 17, all students of Escalantera High School in San Joaquin. Others are John Francis Marcon, 12, of Tomas Confesor Elementary School and Christian Monuevo, 11, of Doroteo Lujan Elementary School, both from Cabatuan.
Together with scout master Domingo Ylayron, the group reportedly swam in the waters declared "No Swimming Area," based on the BSP-Iloilo's earlier investigation.
BSP National Chairman and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay personally handed financial assistance to the victims' families when he came to Iloilo last week.
Close to 4,000 boy scouts and scouters gathered for the five-day camp, which ended a day ahead because of the tragedy.
The Jamborette was supposed to provide the "scouts and scouters the experience of tourism related activities."
(October 23, 2004 issue)
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