OVER a hundred students in a school in Cabuyao City in Laguna were brought to a hospital following an unannounced fire drill.
Cabuyao City Mayor Dennis Hain said 104 students of the Gulod National High School-Mamatid Extension were rushed to the hospital due to various reasons, including difficulty in breathing, dizziness, seizure and fainting.
Hain said based on the initial investigation conducted by police and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the principal and teachers organized the fire drill in accordance with Department of Education Order 53 s. 2022, or the Mandatory Unannounced Earthquake and Fire Drills in Schools, without proper coordination with the authorities, including the barangay and municipal office.
He said the drill started around noon Thursday, March 23, where around 3,000 students were instructed to get inside a classroom.
“Doon sila’y nagsiksikan sa kabila ng init ng panahon na ang ating temperature ay umaabot ng naga-average ng 36 to 43 (degrees Celsius), medyo sobra po talaga ang init kanina, talagang kung may karamdaman ka, maaaring may mangyari sayong masama,” Hain said in a Facebook live.
(They huddled there despite the heat of the weather when our temperature reaches an average of 36 to 43 (degrees Celsius). So if you really have an ailment, something bad might happen to you.)
“So ang nangyari nga nakulong doon ang mga bata sa atas din ng mga guro, siguro hindi naman nila inaasahan na ganun ang mangyayari at naghintay ng matagal humigit kumulang sa tatlong oras ng siksikan,” he added.
(So what happened was that the children were trapped there at the request of the teachers, maybe they did not expect that to happen and waited for a long time, approximately three hours of congestion.)
After three hours of staying inside the classroom, the students were instructed to gather in an open field, under the heat of the sun, where they stayed for around 30 minutes.
Some of them were already complaining of dizziness as they asked for drinking water and food.
“Hindi sila napagbigyan kasi mga scouts nga po ang nagmamanage, siguro ay hindi rin abot ng kanilang kaisipan dahil mga bata rin sila,” said Hain.
(They were not given water and food because the scouts, who are also children, were the ones managing.)
Hain said some of the students were already discharged from the hospital, while three remain in close monitoring, including one who has a pre-existing medical condition and experienced seizure.
He ordered the suspension of classes in the school on Friday, March 24, to let the students rest.
The DepEd is yet to comment on the incident. (SunStar Philippines)