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Thursday, June 16, 2005
School room's floor collapses; students injured
By Albert B. Lacanlale
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Several freshman students of the Pampanga High School (PHS) were injured after a wooden flooring of one of the school's oldest buildings gave way and hit them
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 under 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 a financial assistance.
Old and dilapidated buildings
The incident, Macaspac said, was not the first to happen in the school. The school's library had also 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 due to delay in the release of budget, PHS officials have decided to continue using the rooms for the current school year while renovation works have yet to be started.
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 the 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 "Dong" Gonzalez, Jr. and City Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez stepped in to prevent the recurrence of the incident.
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 to prevent such an incident from happening in the future.
"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, on the other hand, had asked DepEd Secretary Florencio Abad to effect the immediate release of funds for the construction and repair of the PHS's main building soon.
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.
(June 16, 2005 issue)
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