Maguindanao school struggles to cope with flooding, lack of learning materials

A teacher in Datu Piang, Maguindanao on Tuesday has related that his school remains flooded and with a week before the resumption of classes they still lack printed lessons modules for students, according to Manal Sugadol’s report on “Stand for Truth."

“‘Yung sa ngayon, ‘yung eskwelahan namin is flooded. Flooded dahil nag overflow ‘yung Rio Grande River, so along the river ‘yung school namin,” Teacher-in-Charge Norodin Patekay said.

Patekay, who has been a teacher at the Reina Regente Elementary School for the past eight years, said do not have a budget for maintenance and other operating expenses.

He explained that they do not have an account as he still has to create one and that education officials are still working on the ownership of the property where the school is located.

An official at the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education in Maguindanao explained that the lot where the school was built on is not donated.

“Pero nag wo-work out ang LGU na kausapin ang may-ari… Willing naman po ang LGU natin na bilhin ang lupa na kinatatayuaan ng Reina Regente,”said  Sirikit Kamaong, District Head.

“Ang kulang po kasi sa kanila is ‘yung pag-open ng account is ‘yung deed of donation. Kaya hindi sila maka-open ng bank kasi wala po silang deed of donation,” she added.

Further, the school is still trying to recover from the effects of a war in Maguindanao that occurred in 1997.

“Dating location ng school namin, military service ang kwan doon. Kaso nagka-evacuate lahat ‘yung kwan doon because of the man-made calamity. So hanggang ngayon hindi pa sila nakauwi,” he said.

Meanwhile, as to the preparations for the opening of classes, only one week's worth of modules has been printed for around 200 enrolled students.

“Sa modules naman so far is mga 1 week lang siguro ‘yung maa-avail namin kasi kulang na kulang kami ng mga materyales. Mga three rings yung bawat subject kung kumpletuhin ‘yung lahat-lahat na ba na kwarter,” Patekay said.

“Three rings na ‘yun is for one subject only. Kaso nine subject lahat,” he added

Patekay said they were willing to buy bond paper in order to fulfill their obligation to the students.

“Kung hindi po magkasya siguro mapilitan na rin bawat advisres atsaka ako na magbili na lang kami ng bond paper. kasi nakataya ‘yung education ng mag bata kung pabayaan namin ‘yun. Gagamitin na lang ‘yung pera namin kung may pera naman kami,”  he said.

Department of Education Undersecretary for Curriculum and and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio that the agency has been preparing for the resumption of classes amid the pandemic but there are school that would need donations from local government units and private individuals.

"May mga lugar na kulang, 1 is to one na ratio, pwede naman kasing i-share 'yan pero may dagdag lang silang gagawin," he said.

"So kailangan nilang i-disinfect 'yung mga self-learning modules bago ilipat sa susunod na gagamit," he added. -- Joahna Lai Casilao/BAP, GMA News