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Thursday, June 16, 2005
Classroom floor collapses, injures students
By Albert B. Lacanlale
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Several freshman students of the Pampanga High School (PHS) were injured after a wooden flooring of the school's oldest building gave way and brought them down with it.
The students, belonging to Section Creme 1, were about to leave Room 7 of the PHS Main Building after their Science Class under Purisima Pineda when half of the wooden floor caved in, plunging students and chairs six feet below the structure and into two-foot deep murky water.
Pineda, who has been teaching at the PHS for 34 years, said 57 of the 60 students enrolled in her class were present when the incident happened.
She said her husband, Carlos, who was then fetching her for lunch break, was the first to rescue the students who had fallen into the watery pit.
Some of the students suffered bruises. Six of them were needed to be administered with anti-tetanus by responding doctors Leilanie Mangulabnan and Elma Manarang of the City Health Office.
Those wounded were Ronald Bryan Espineda, Jennifer Chica, Jonalyn Luna, Fatima Mama, Jennina Mae Mariano and Tessie Pamintuan. They were taken to the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Imelda Macaspac, PHS principal, said the injured students have been X-rayed and would be given financial assistance.
Old, dilapidated buildings
The incident, Macaspac said, was not the first to happen in the school. The school's library had collapsed sometime in the 80s.
She said it highlights the need for the renovation of the school's main building, which is one of the remaining original structures of the PHS since the school was established 97 years ago.
She said renovation of the 18-classroom building had already been scheduled but not started yet due to the delay in the release of the budget. PHS officials decided to continue using the rooms for the current school year.
Appealing to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the immediate renovation of the rooms, Macaspac said school officials have decided to close down the remaining classrooms for structural inspection. Everyday, close to 480 of the total 9,300 students of PHS alternately use Room 7.
As the school is facing a shortage of classrooms, the PHS would be adopting an emergency class-schedule scheme.
Quick response
Pampanga Third District Representative Rey B. Aquino, Board Member Aurelio Gonzalez Jr. and Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez said something must be done to prevent the incident from happening again.
Being the chairman of the Provincial Board (PB) committee on education and vice chairman of the public works committee, Gonzales said he would urge the Provincial Government to inspect classrooms in various schools in the province.
"We should assert every effort possible to prevent the recurrence of this incident, which may lead to more serious injuries or even death among our students," Gonzales said.
Aquino said he has asked Education Secretary Florencio Abad to effect the immediate release of funds for the construction and repair of the PHS's main building.
Rodriguez, who was on official business in Subic when the incident happened, immediately dispatched city engineers to determine the extent of damage to the old building. (Sun.Star Pampanga/Sunnex)
(June 16, 2005 issue)
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