DepEd-10 Officials Cite Cong. Rufus and Maximo Rodriguez for Help to Typhoon Sendong-affected Schools

Officials of the Department of Education (DepEd), region 10, have expressed their gratitude for the efforts of Congressman Rufus B. Rodriguez, 2nd Legislative District of Cagayan de Oro, in providing intervention programs to the Typhoon Sendong-affected schools in the city.

In her report to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), Dr. Luz S. Almeda, Regional Director of DepEd-10 and head of the Post Sendong Operations’ Education Cluster, said the City Central School have been decongested by the opening of new temporary relocation sites through the initiative of Congressman Rodriguez.

These new temporary relocation sites/evacuation centers (EC’s) include the Elementary Schools (ES) of Indahag, Cugman, Agusan, and the Regional Science High School in the city.

Almeda said this was done in collaboration with the DepEd Officials with Congressman Rodriguez and the provision of shelter tents by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

She said even the internally displaced persons (IDP’s) of Macasandig were also temporarily relocated to the above-stated evacuation centers (EC’s).

Also decongested was the West City Central School in Barangay Carmen by opening another temporary relocation site at Bulua ES, still with the support of Congressman Rodriguez and Dr. Myrna S. Motoomull, Superintendent of the Schools Division of Cagayan de Oro City.

As to Psychosocial Intervention, Almeda said 43 teachers from the affected schools were trained on Stress Debriefing with the support from Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, last Jan. 4.

These teachers were then asked to re-echo the training to their fellow teachers, and in turn, focused on psychosocial debriefing activities during their initial classes for the year.

Likewise, DepEd conducted a training on Psychosocial Debriefing to more than 100 teachers, with the support of Capitol University.

Almeda, in her report, also said all classes of the affected schools were brought to normalcy with the support of multi-stakeholders in coordination with DepEd Officials and had successfully conducted the 3rd Periodical Examination last Jan. 19-20, 2012.

In collaboration with the UNICEF, Kapuso Foundation and other partner agencies, the schoolchildren were provided school bags/kits with instructional supplies.

Meanwhile, all the Sendong-affeced teachers were given Php500 financial support plus blanket by the A Teacher Party List and Php1,000, by the Cagayan de Oro Public School Teachers’ Association (COPSTEA).

Likewise, Php2,000 financial aid was granted to all teachers, whose classrooms were flooded.

Almeda also said Php5,000 were given to all teachers whose homes were washed out and Php10,000 to the nearest kin of the declared casualty among the teachers through the funds of Congressmen Rufus Rodriguez and Atty. Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr. , Representative of Abante Mindanao (ABAMIN) Party List. (Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob/PIA-10)