RISING from the rubble of the Great Bohol Earthquake and typhoon Yolanda may not be as swift as when done by a genie, but the effort of Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) is paying off.
This after Aumentado said he has secured P560 million from the Department of Education (DepEd) for the construction of 560 classrooms at P1 million each, to be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The first tranche of 280 classrooms will be built in the first semester and the other 280 during the second semester.
Aumentado said prior to the earthquake and typhoon, the school buildings were already not enough for the pupils. Some made do with dilapidated classrooms; others utilized the school stage, if any, or the oft-repeated “under the mango treeâ€.
The situation, the solon said, was aggravated after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that damaged school buildings, roads and bridges, churches and other structures. While Bohol was not a direct hit of typhoon Yolanda, the howler still managed to blow away some roofs.
This prompted the solon to double his efforts to narrow the gap in the classroom needs of his district. He said only when the environment is conducive to study can parents and teachers expect students to absorb what are taught.
Otherwise, he said, the students are vulnerable to dropping out if school only makes them uncomfortable.(June S. Blanco)