IN TWO weeks, Bankal Elementary School in Lapu-Lapu City is expected to restore full electricity to the classrooms affected by a power meter explosion last February due to overloading.
In an interview over SunStar Cebu’s online news and commentary program, “Beyond the Headlines,” on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, Evelyn Orongan, principal of Bankal Elementary School, clarified that 68 of the school’s 82 instructional classrooms still lack power.
“Our concern is that we still have classrooms without electricity. Our transformer is okay. What we need to do now is rewire. As of now, we are working with the contractor to have the kindergarten classes, who have really dim rooms, bring their electricity back today or tomorrow,” said Orongan in Cebuano.
Orongan also emphasized that other classrooms and their office already have electricity through the funding of their Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses and with the assistance of Barangay Bankal.
Earlier, the school provided emergency lights to alleviate the situation.
The school head also allowed students not to wear their school uniforms and encouraged them to wear light-colored t-shirts. She added that they can bring face towels and emergency fans to fight the humid weather.
City assistance
The City Government also extended help to the institution.
Mark Anthony Bautista, Lapu-Lapu City public information officer, said Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan inspected the area on Monday afternoon to speed up solving the electrical problem.
Chan also assured that within two weeks, all 68 classrooms will be “fully illuminated and ventilated,” reads a portion of the city’s official public information office Facebook post.
“Bankal Elementary School is the only one affected. We can consider this as an isolated case. Ang problema nalang man, nana man na’y transformer available diha kulang nalang ang pag wiring sa mga classrooms kay kailangan naman gud siya ilisan kay delikado napud siya (The only problem is, although there’s already a transformer available, what’s missing is the wiring for the classrooms because it needs to be replaced as it has become dangerous),” said Bautista.
As for the Mactan Electric Company Inc. (Meco), customer relations officer, Dianne Amodia, in a text message, said they already installed and energized the transformer last May 24, 2024.
Amodia added that the internal wiring in the classrooms is already beyond Meco’s scope.
Department of Education Lapu-Lapu assistant schools division superintendent Ronald Ferrer also assured that around 3,600 students of Bankal are not left out at the start of classes.
Ferrer reported to SunStar Cebu that as of July 30, a total of 79,908 students are enrolled in all levels of basic education for the school year 2024-2025.
Ferrer noted that they are still continuously updating the data on the number of enrolled students.
For the children’s safety and security, barangay and police personnel are deployed in the school vicinity and entrances. He said two to three personnel are dispatched to monitor the traffic and guide the children to their classrooms.
Classes opened nationwide on Monday, July 29, 2024, for the school year 2024-2025. (DPC)