By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said classes in Batangas are unlikely to resume any time soon as the Taal Volcano maintains its restive state Monday.
Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III (FACEBOOK/ MANILA BULLETIN)
In a press briefing in Malacañang, Densing said classes in schools being used as evacuation centers in Batangas remain suspended. However, Governor Hermilando Mandanas may announce the resumption of classes if he thinks students can return to their schools already.
"Sa evacuation center kung nasaan po ang mga estudyante at tsaka mga evacuees, wala po (There's no resumption of classes of classes on schools where there are evacuees)," he said Monday.
"Ang banggit ni Governor Mandanas ng Batangas, wala pa pong klase ngayon pero mukhang tinitignan niya on a day-to-day basis. Tomorrow, kung tingin niya po eh pwede nang gamitin ang eskwelahan at pwede nang ibalik ang mga bata sa eskwelahan, ibabalik niya na po ang pagde-deklara ng pagpapatuloy ng klase simula bukas (I think Governor Mandanas is monitoring the situation daily. Tomorrow, if he thinks that the schools can be used already, he will announce the resumption of classes)," he added.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones said last week that they were working on relocating the evacuees occupying the schools in Batangas because the education of learners was already getting compromised.
In the same press briefing, Densing said they were already talking about moving the evacuees out of the schools but for now, other schools were asked to accept the students affected by the Taal Volcano's unrest.
"Yung mga schoolchildren naapektuhan nitong evacuation, kung pwedeng tanggapin po ng ibang malalapit na eskwelahan na malapit (We're asking nearby schools if they can accept the school children affected by the evacuation)," he said.
"'Di pa natin na-identify kung saan sila (evacuees) pwedeng ilipat. So importanteng malalimang pag-uusap at ma-identify kung saan ba talagang pwedeng paglipatan bukod po sa mga eskwelahan ng mga lokal na gobyerno (We don't know where to relocate the evacuees yet. So it's important that we talk about it to identify the other places where we can move them to)," he added.
According to Briones, they had no choice but to move the evacuees out of the schools because the education of students was already affected. She reiterated her call to avoid using schools as evacuation centers.
"Ayaw nating i-sacrifice, i-dislocate, i-disrupt ang classes ng mga bata kasi ang school buildings bahay nila yun (We do not want to sacrifice or disrupt the classes because schools are the students' home)," Briones said Friday.
The Education Secretary likewise said that schools in affected areas would have to extend class hours or hold classes during holidays to make up for the missed school days.