DAVAO CITY – Five Grade 4 pupils and a teacher were injured when a classroom ceiling at the Lapu-Lapu Elementary School in Agdao in Davao City collapsed on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Marites Cañeda, Grade 4 teacher, said she was conducting class with 40 pupils when the ceiling suddenly gave way.
She said her students acted quickly, taking cover under their desks and crawling to safety.
Cañeda said the incident happened around 9:55 a.m. in Room 12 on the third floor. She added that she heard a creaking sound moments before the ceiling caved in.
Following earthquake preparedness drills, the class adviser immediately instructed her students to perform the “duck, cover, and hold” routine while leaving the classroom.
“I tried to hold the center portion of the falling ceiling while guiding the pupils out,” Cañeda narrated.
The injured sustained minor bruises and received stress debriefing in school and declared safe.
Reports said the classroom was part of a school building constructed by former second district Rep. Vincent Garcia. The school reported the incident to the Education and Public Works and Highways departments.
Second district Rep. Omar Vincent Duterte immediately dispatched a team led by Barry Dingal to inspect the damage and coordinate support.
They joined the follow-up investigation conducted by the Davao City Police Office. School officials, DepEd engineers, and local barangay officials were also present.
Rep. Duterte’s office has coordinated with the DPWH-Davao that has P18 million allocated for school repair projects. It added that rehabilitation work for the damaged ceiling is expected to be bid out soon.
“The safety of our students is our priority. We will coordinate with the proper agencies to ensure the needed repairs are addressed promptly,” the lawmaker’s office said.
Officials commended the preparedness of the teacher and students, noting that the quick execution of safety drills likely prevented serious injuries.
The school has shifted to a blended learning setup for the Grade 4 pupils involved and pupils in three other third-floor classrooms until the building is confirmed to be safe.