ALCALA, Cagayan – A floating room here saved important learning materials from destruction during typhoon “Uwan.”

Rosalyn Guieb, principal of Damurog Elementary School, adopted the idea from residents who decided to store and protect their belongings in such a building 13 years ago in 2012.

Her desire to have a floating room was rekindled when their buildings were flooded and water reached the ceiling in 2019.

Guieb said the idea to build a floating room was fast-tracked when typhoon “Ulysses” (international name “Vamco”) pummeled Cagayan with strong winds and heavy rain that caused heavy flooding in 2020.

"Noong 2020 Ulysses, I was planning na magput up po ng isang floating room para sa school. Noong naglilikas kami ng mga gamit ng school namin sa barangay hall, nasabi ko sa ko sa mga barangay officials that time na sana makapagpatayo din kami ng floating room ng school,” she said.

(I pitched the idea to barangay officials when typhoon Ulysess struck in 2020 and we were moving property to the barangay hall to save them from flood)

“Pagkatapos ng megaflood, may mga nag-relief operations na mga pari at madre, mga Franciscan Sisters ng Santa Ana, Cagayan. Natanong siguro nila sa mga barangay officials kung ano ang kailangan na tulong sa barangay at sa school. At ayun, floating room ang ni-request nila. Nag-fund sourcing sila at inuna ang school namin na mabigyan ng floating room."

(After the flood, the religious conducting relief operations asked barangay officials what we need. Barangay officials requested a floating room. The religious looked for funds and a floating room was built for the school)

The project was realized in 2021. Guieb said construction started January and completed three months later in March.

The project was not cheap though. Guieb said P330,000 was spent to build the floating room from just three materials – metal purlins as wall and floor, metal roof, and heavy duty plastic drums. The metal floor was covered by marine plywood for durability.

The floating room had its baptism of fire when a tropical cyclone struck on Oct. 31, 2022, Guieb said. Their barangay was flooded and although it was not too high, it passed the deluge with flying colors.

Uwan ravaged Luzon early this month and the floating room did not flinch from chest-high flood.

Guieb paid tribute to the floating room in a Facebook post.

And it is expected that it will serve its purpose in the years to come.