FOLLOWING a fire that damaged several classrooms, Bankal Elementary School has cordoned off a portion of its premises to ensure the safety of its students.
Principal Evelyn Orongan, in a phone interview on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, said barriers have been set up around the affected areas to maintain a safe environment for students and ensure uninterrupted learning.
Orongan said the precautionary measures were recommended by the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Lapu-Lapu City Schools Division Office.
The fire, which broke out in the school’s stockroom on Friday, Sept. 5, damaged the stockroom and three classrooms.
Initial investigations suggest that the fire was caused by an arched wire near the stockroom’s entrance. The blaze resulted in an estimated P720,000 in damages. No injuries were reported among students or staff.
Orongan said that while other school buildings remain accessible, the stockroom and 10 classrooms connected to the same electrical line will be temporarily closed, affecting 472 kindergarten and Grade 5 pupils.
To ensure continuity of learning, the school is implementing half-day sessions and relocating classes to other available rooms.
Request letters will be sent to the City Engineering Office (CEO) and the Fire Department on Monday, Sept. 8.
Orongan said these letters will request an inspection of the affected area by the CEO and permission from the Fire Department to dispose of the remains of burned educational materials in the stockroom.
She added that the charred books still emit smoke.
Bankal Elementary School has 3,723 students and 83 classrooms. / DPC