CABUYAO City, Laguna – The Cabuyao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) confirmed on Sunday, March 26, that 34 more students of the Gulod National High School-Mamatid Extension got ill less than a day after 100 of their classmates passed out during a surprise fire drill on Thursday, March 23.
According to the Cabuyao CDRRMO, these students went to school on Friday, March 24, despite an order from Mayor Dennis Hain to the principal to cancel classes while an investigation on the incident is ongoing.
The CDRRMO said one by one, these students fainted in class, prompting Hain to cancel classes and send them home.
The fire drill was conducted around 2 p.m. in compliance with Department of Education Order No. 53, Series of 2022 (Mandatory Unannounced Earthquake and Fire Drills in Schools), CDRRMO head Sabi “Bobby” Abinal Jr. said.
“Ang lahat-lahat ay 104 na dinala po sa hospital (104 students were taken to the hospital),” said Abinal.
Based on initial findings, Abinal said that some students passed out because of hunger and dehydration.
Abinal said that no coordination was made by the school on the exercise with the city government, CDRRMO, and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
About 3,000 students participated and instructed to convene at the designated open evacuation area in the school grounds while others stayed in their classrooms at 12:30 p.m. amid the scorching heat index which ranged between 39 to 42 degrees Celsius and cramped conditions before the drill started.
About 20 students passed out in the open evacuation area and 80 in their classrooms.
Abinal said there were no safety officers and medics and only Boy and Girl Scouts were assigned as marshals.