BACOLOD City — The Crispino V. Ramos Elementary School (CVRES) in Barangay Taculing has implemented two-shifting classes after 10 of its classrooms were deemed unsafe following structural damage discovered after recent earthquakes.
On October 1, Mayor Greg Gasataya issued Executive Order (EO) No. 057, suspending classes at all levels, both public and private, and work in government offices due to the Intensity V earthquake felt in the city on the night of September 30, as reported by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). The EO also directed the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), in coordination with the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) and the Office of the Building Official (OBO), to conduct a Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis and provide guidance to affected schools and offices.
Last Friday, October 10, the mayor was informed that nearly 10 classrooms in CVRES were unusable for the safety of students. Mayor Gasataya said that the Department of Education (DepEd) has implemented two-shifting classes in response to the damaged school structures.
Meanwhile, the DRRMO, together with the CEO and OBO, continues ongoing inspections following the magnitude 6.0 earthquake in Bogo City, Cebu, on October 13, which was also felt in parts of Bacolod. This prompted Mayor Gasataya to issue EO No. 061, suspending face-to-face classes in all public and private schools effective October 13, based on DRRMO recommendations. Schools are encouraged to shift to modular distance learning, performance tasks, and projects to ensure that learning competencies are met.
In a media interview yesterday, Mayor Gasataya said the inspection teams are visiting all public schools in the city in coordination with DepEd.
“During my visits last week, initial reports showed only a few classrooms affected. However, some schools, such as CVRES, had as many as 10 classrooms abandoned for safety reasons. At Montelibano Elementary School in Barangay Villamonte, two classrooms developed floor cracks, which are being assessed by the CEO,” he said.
The mayor added that private schools may resume classes at their discretion after conducting their own assessments, while public schools will wait for DRRMO’s final evaluation as the basis for safely resuming classes./PN
