Several public schools in Bohol will be holding “double shifts” of classes due to the shortage of classrooms amid the pending rehabilitation of school facilities damaged by Typhoon “Odette” almost a year ago.

This was announced by Department of Education (DepEd) Bohol superintendent Bianito Dagatan during the resumption of full face-to-face classes on Wednesday.

According to Dagatan, two classes will use one classroom in a single day, as the education department starts to implement the five-day face-to-face classes.  

The two shifts will be held in the morning and in the afternoon.

“Sa pipili ka skwelahan nato na kulang ang classroom mag double shift, meaning sa us aka classroom duha ka klase ang mag occupy. So sayo magsugod ang klase sa buntag sa first shift aron nig kahuman og klase nila sa udto, mo puli na sad ang second shift,” said Dagatan.

Due to the new policy, some classes will start as early as 6:30 a.m. depending on the agreement of the school administration and the students’ parents.

“It should be agreed sa PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) kay lain-lain man og sitwasyon matag lugar,” Dagatan said.

He noted that most of the schools which will employ the double-shift policy are the province’s “bigger” high schools.

It was earlier reported by the DepEd that some 398 schools in the province incurred damages when Odette barreled through the province on December 16, 2021.

Of the figure, only 32 schools have so far been allocated a total budget of P228 which was sourced from DepEd’s quick response fund.

Construction works for the said schools are expected to commence this month.

However, some 366 storm-stricken schools have yet to be allocated funds for repairs.

It was earlier noted that the department needs a total of P2 billion for the rehabilitation of the said facilities.

DepEd Bohol had earlier announced that funding for the classroom rehabilitation and construction was not included in the 2022 budget since the storm hit the province on December 16 last year.

The General Appropriations Act of 2022 was passed by Congress in early December. (A. Doydora)