THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers sought help for educators in Region 7 who are struggling to implement 100 percent face-to-face classes because of the shortage of classrooms in the region.

ACT said that the classroom shortage is due to government’s failure to repair and rehabilitate thousands of classrooms damaged by Typhoon Odette in December 2021.

Reports showed that out of 5,000 damaged classrooms, 3,000 have been fixed through the help of local government units and private institutions, while 2,000 remained unrepaired.

“It is very disheartening that while our teachers and learners see the importance of 100 percent face-to-face classes, we cannot implement it fully, or we are placed in less ideal situations. Halos isang taon nang nakatiwangwang ang maraming school facilities na nasira ni Odette. Ginawa na naming lahat sa local level — humingi ng tulong sa local government, mag-solicit sa private sector, manawagan ng donasyon mula sa publiko — pero hindi talaga sasapat dahil sa laki ng damages. Kailangan namin ng mabilis na saklolo mula sa pambansang pamahalaan,” Antonia Lim, ACT Region 7 Union president, said.

The group said that in Babag National High School, classrooms were divided into two to accommodate two classes instead of one. It added that despite the small space, the number of students in each class remains at 45 or more.

In Suba Elementary School in Liloan Cebu Province, students are cramped in small classrooms without proper ventilation and where physical distancing is impossible.

In Ireneo Diamante National Highschool in Tuburan Cebu and Daanbantayan Central Elementary School, tents were used as makeshift classrooms.

ACT said that repair work in damaged classrooms in Camp Lapu-lapu High School in Cebu City has not commenced while renovations in Camp Lapu-lapu Elementary School has just begun through the funding of the Local School Board. Both schools reportedly face the threat of eviction as they are located on lands recently acquired by the AyalaLand Corporation.

“Kinausap natin ang local DepEd officials bago magbukas ang klase noong Agosto 22 at ayon sa kanila ay naghihintay pa rin sila ng kasagutan mula sa DepEd Central Office hinggil sa kanilang kahilingan para matulungan silang maipaayos ang mga nasirang klasrum,” Vladimer Quetua, the group’s chairperson, said.

“Region 7 is but one of the regions where slow and insufficient national government response to the effects of calamities to education are painfully felt. We are receiving the same reports from Regions III, IV-A, V, VIII and regions in Mindanao,” he added.