We believe that the Department of Education (DepEd) should look into this school situation very seriously. We mean the situation of Talandang National High School in barangay Talandang in Tugbok District, Davao City.Last Monday we dropped by the Office of the Principal to inquire about the status of the population of their senior high school, as well as what technical-vocational discipline it is offering. We made the inquiry because we have observed that the school in that barangay which is about 31 kilometers away from downtown Davao City is recipient of two multi-story buildings that when completed, will provide some 20 classrooms in addition to the existing ones. The high school has about 300 students with 11 all-women faculty members not including the principal.
So, with such number of students and teaching complements, to have some 20 or so new classrooms is more than a blessing. So what is the problem of the school we are talking about?
Well, the secondary school has been in operation since 2001 with teachers lent from different schools in the third district.
Yes, according to the Principal the school has been operating without a single item for its teachers. In other words, the eleven mentors are under the item for teachers in secondary schools like Biao National High School in Biao Eskwela, and Estipona National High School, to name two.
So, in the strictest sense of the word Talandang National High School is one public secondary institution that is at the mercy of the schools from where the item of the teachers lent to the former belongs.
Why this situation has been perpetuated for so long we have no idea. But we believe that the DepEd should not have overlooked this problem because it is clearly to the disadvantage of the students if the teachers handling them are not real components of the school they are presently teaching.
This could possibly be the reason why, we have learned, that many teachers of the subject high school are either desiring to be returned to the school where their items belong or have been requesting for transfer to schools nearer their residence.
We are certain that the inclusion of the said school in the list of recipients for building projects funded by the national government emanated from the Office of the Congressman representing the city’s third district. And we are definite as well that the school was recommended by the Division of Davao City Schools through the agency’s consolidated regional education development plan.
Unfortunately for the school, the DepEd or the Office of the Congressman appears seemingly oblivious of the absence of teacher items for the mentioned secondary school.
So, given this scenario, it can be safely assumed that some schools are over-staffed while others like Talandang National High School, do not have any. In effect, the lent teachers are like “living ghosts.”
We do not wish to entertain ideas that this is happening because in creating items some people cannot hope to derive money. However, in constructing school buildings costing an average of P16 million per one unit of nine-classroom-three-level edifice, there surely is money coming or even advanced to some “lucky ones.”
************************
President Rodrigo Duterte was profuse in his thanks to the Filipino-Chinese businessmen in the Philippines for their strong support to the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.
PRRD’s appreciation was made during a speech he delivered at the opening of the 32nd Biennial Convention of the Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FCCCII) held in Pasay City during the weekend.
Emphasizing on the Fil-Chinese businessmen’s support in the government fight against the addictive drug, the President specifically mentioned the help of the FCCCII in building drug dependents’ rehabilitation centers.
Actually, like PRRD, we too are elated at the various social programs implemented by Filipino-Chinese-owned corporate conglomerates the likes of San Miguel Corporation, Metrobank Group, SM chains, and many others.
We had the opportunity to work with the people running their social development arms when we were still on the watch of our former employer’s (Davao Light and Power Co.) corporate social responsibility (CSR) department. So we know how sincere these Fil-Chinese businessmen are.
But what would perhaps be more deserving not just of the President’s thanks but by the entire Filipino nation is if the FCCCII would be able to restrain syndicates known to be composed of some of their compatriots either from the Chinese mainland or from the renegade Taiwan from making the Philippines their dumping ground of illegal drugs.
Look, these Chinese international drug dealers and manufacturers have located not a few of its processing laboratories and distribution centers in the Philippines. And one can easily imagine the kind of money these shenanigans make with the choice of location for their laboratories as well as their warehouses and distribution centers.
Have not the successful major drug busts where billions of pesos worth of drugs were confiscated by law enforcement units been conducted in Metro Manila’s posh subdivisions? Was not the latest P1.3 billion worth of shabu grabbed by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) carried out in the exclusive, gated Ayala-Alabang Village — the enclave for the country’s rich and famous many of whom Filipino-Chinese?
Well, we are looking forward whe
n the President and the entire Filipino nation will whole-heartedly chorus our thanks to the Fil-Chinese when they are able to stop their compatriots from doing their illegal and very morally-destructive activities in the country in the very near future.
