CDO and Iligan Schools Open Inspite of...

 Today is the first school day of 2012, I'm missing my kids as we've had almost two weeks all-together doing household chores and visiting places.   We had a season of prosperity and love, so much love that left me redefine  Christmas celebration.  They even helped me so much with our  charitable deeds, like wrapping up gifts for the less fortunate kids that our church take care,  gave out coins and candies for the carolers,  they even helped out  boxing the bottled water we sent to those provinces with the help of Red Cross.

Red Cross picking up boxes of 500 ml bottled waters to be sent to Cagayan De Oro, a  project of  IT Fishnets

It did cross my mind how school children at Cagayan De Oro and Iligan City got back on their education system, after the devastating storm hit the region after which seeing videos of people and communities which broke our hearts more so having to celebrate Christmas in an afflicted manner.  

 With this picture from the internet, showing the havoc of Sendong at one of the schools at Cagayan De Oro...  Made me think of how kids can go back to school  though not that a normal life yet...

Here is a press release from the  Department of Education, to give us a much clearer view of what  goes on, primarily at schools on those part of the Philippines.  

The Department of Education has made preparations for the opening of schools today in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City after the Christmas break and in the aftermath of typhoon Sendong which devastated a big swatch of Northern Mindanao.

Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro, FSC said however that some schools will not hold regular classes yet but instead use alternative delivery mode of lessons. In some schools, school heads will focus more on stress debriefing and play therapy in affected divisions. “We have to respond to the immediate needs of both teachers and students and for now, it is important that we introduce activities that will bring back normalcy in their lives,” the education chief said.

Picture downloaded from CDRC

He added that DepEd is now making the final list of schools being used as evacuation centers. “We have agreed with our counterparts in the Department of Social Welfare and Development that if our schools are still needed by evacuees we will hold classes in temporary learning spaces including the use of tents provided by UNICEF, Plan International and Save the Children, among others. While there are shortages in tents, donations are still coming in.”

DepEd has also expressed its appreciation to parents, military, police, students, non-government organizations and evacuees themselves for helping in the cleanup of schools in order to prepare them for the holding of classes. ”What we see here is an off-season Brigada Eskwela where every concerned citizen pitches in to bring back order in schools and in the community.”

Meanwhile, Bishop Antonio Ledesma of Cagayan de Oro has offered his parish for temporary relocation while the Jesuit-run Xavier University said it has five hectares in Lumbia also for relocation. For its part, the local government of Cagayan de Oro has made available another 3. 5 hectares as relocation site.

“This is a welcome development and slowly, internally-displaced residents are moving on to rebuild lives in relocation sites,” said Luistro.

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It is such a blessing seeing all the efforts put up by DepEd, seeing how much they care even for students in those  places, even seeing more and more people demonstrate  unity and charity as means of  preserving humanity and  a show of compassion,  the true spirit of Christmas.

Any other help you want to donate, you may contact Red Cross and Department of Education.