CLASSES RESUMED. Learners of the Col. Ruperto Abellon Sr. Memorial School in Barangay Poblacion, Patnongon, Antique, report to school for their first day of classes on Wednesday (Aug. 30, 2023). Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management officer Broderick Train said in an interview that classes remain suspended in 12 local government units of the province. (PNA photo courtesy of Col. Ruperto Abellon Sr. Memorial School)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Classes from pre-school to senior high school remain suspended in 12 local government units (LGUs) of Antique on Wednesday.
“Some of the schools still need to be cleaned because of the flood so LGUs decided not to hold classes yet,” Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (PDRRM) officer Broderick Train said in an interview on Wednesday.
He said some schools still served as evacuation centers for those who were pre-emptively evacuated starting Aug. 28.
In a separate interview, Department of Education (DepEd) Antique Schools Division information officer Eric Cortejo said classes already resumed in Anini-y, Bugasong, Libertad, Pandan, Patnongon and Valderrama.
“DepEd schools had long been preparing for the school opening, but it was only dampened by the heavy rains yesterday,” he said.
Cortejo said around 135,652 learners enrolled both in public and private schools from kindergarten to Grade 12 are expected to report to their classes by Thursday or in the succeeding days.
Dr. Romelita Tandoy, principal of the Col. Ruperto Abellon Sr. Memorial School in Barangay Poblacion, Patnongon, said they held a flag-raising ceremony and a short program to welcome returning leaners on Wednesday.
“Learners are very eager to start their classes,” she said.
The school has around 840 learners from kindergarten to Grade 6 who will already have their face-to-face classes.
Tandoy said their school also accommodated around 900 evacuees who have started returning to their homes.
Meanwhile, Train said that with the improving weather condition, provincial government employees have already returned to their offices on Wednesday after the work suspension on Aug. 29 due to the threat of rain-induced floods and landslides. (PNA)
