Ebdane orders speedy repair of Aeta school

SUBIC, Zambales — Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. has ordered the release of a P1.5-million emergency fund for the immediate rehabilitation of a school building that was gutted by fire in the remote Aeta village of Batiawan in Zambales.

Ebdane inspected the schoolhouse on Saturday, three days after a two-hour fire gutted one building of the Batiawan Integrated School here on January 26.

The fire, which started at 5 p.m. after the students had gone home, was traced to faulty electrical wiring. It burned to ashes desks and chairs, and books and records, in a three-classroom building that alternately housed six grade school classes, as well as three high school classes.

Teacher Gemma Prieto said the fire threatened to spread to two adjacent buildings due to strong wind, but it was finally put out through the bayanihan efforts of residents.

During his visit on Saturday, Gov. Ebdane, who served previously as Public Works secretary , assessed the damage and authorized the release of P1.5 million from the provincial government’s Special Education Fund, which is allotted for infrastructure and other educational requirements.

“There are two more months until the summer break, and the children need their school room,” Ebdane said in a meeting with Subic town mayor Jay Khonghun, Batiawan village officials led by barangay captain Jesus Liwag, and Zambales provincial engineer Neil Farala.

Stressing that education should be a priority especially for children in poor communities, the governor said that a new school building “should be put up within two weeks.”

In the same meeting, Ebdane ordered the Provincial Engineer’s Office to prepare a development plan for the improvement of the Batiawan Integrated School, including the construction of comfort rooms for students and faculty members.

Mayor Khonghun, meanwhile, said the municipal government will take care of the funding for the repair of the daycare center in Batiawan.

Khonghun also reported to Ebdane that the municipality has already started repairs on the six-kilometer road leading to the remote village, which is located some 1,160 feet high in the foothills of the Zambales mountain range.

source: mb.com.ph