Classes in two Davao del Sur towns are still suspended until Wednesday, Nov. 20, the Department of Education (DepEd) said.
Officials are still monitoring the infrastructure in Magsaysay and Bansalan, two of the most affected towns in Davao del Sur.
Regional Director Evelyn Fetalvero said classes in Digos City, the provincial capital, already resumed yesterday.
As most students in the quake-hit areas returned to school, Fetalvero said school personnel and students undertook Psychological First Aid (PFA) activities to provide them a sound mind after the strong quakes that hit Mindanao.
“There has to be PFA activities for them to go back to having a sound mental condition. It is important to conduct a psychosocial activities so that the normal conditions of the teachers, students and school personnel will also be back,” she said.
Also, schools in the region are now required to conduct emergency drill every Friday.
DepEd assistant regional director Dr. Maria Asuncion pointed out that classrooms are still being monitored and checked for any possible risks.
Asuncion said an old building at the Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School (DRANHS) in Barangay Matina Crossing has been condemned, and will be demolished soon.
None of the new buildings, she said, are declared unsafe.
She said that structural engineers have already checked the schools, fortunately, there were only few classrooms that acquired damages.
Classes in the city have been reportedly back to normalcy as assessments of the structural engineers revealed that schools are now safe to operate.
Temporary classrooms for damaged school facilities have been established to cater students and teachers in the meantime.
“We really appreciate the schools, even barangays and community, and even our partner local government units and provincial LGUs for really coming up with efforts, because if you roam in Davao Region now, specifically in the hardest hit areas in Davao del Sur, you will see structures being built for temporary classrooms, but it is only for the meantime,” DepEd XI spokesperson Jenielito Atillo said.
He also assured that schools in the city are now safe.
“I would like to stress that if it’s declared unsafe, we will not allow any teacher or student to utilize any of the classrooms,” he said.
