DepEd data show damage in school buildings in many municipalities here

By SEN GUINGGUING

Damage to property inflicted on infrastructure buildings in Bohol is meagre compared to Negros Oriental standards, the epicentre of the 6.9 earthquake that hit Central Visayas the other Monday, but there’s not enough funds for rebuilding efforts in the province. Although the amount of damage to infrastructures in Bohol was only in the vicinity of P57M, no such money was available for the massive repair of damaged buildings. In a damage report obtained by the Post from the school’s division through Division Assistant Supt. Bianito Dagatan, it was gathered that the local DepEd here has only enough funds good for a year for the rehabilitation of the damaged school classrooms in different towns. This developed in the wake of an earthquake of 6.9 magnitude that shook the province of Bohol at 11:48 AM on  February 6, 2012, exactly 22 years ago when a tremblor of 6.8 magnitude shattered the province on February 8, 1990 at about 3:15 PM and 16 years back when another one of 5.6 magnitude on May 27, 1996.

The tremor caught the people in government and private offices and schools flat-footed sending them into panic although no one was reported hurt. As normal condition set it, some buildings, mostly public school buildings, suffered cracks. Hardly hit by the quake were several municipalities of Negros Oriental where the epicenter was pinpointed. More than 50 persons were reported killed while scores are missing and feared dead. The quake also triggered landslides because of heavy downpour. The landslides buried communities in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental that accounted to the scores of missing in the calamity. According to the DepEd account, some 1,094 classrooms in the elementary and a total of 208 secondary classrooms were not spared from the tremor. The biggest of this destruction is the P950,000 damage inflicted to a school building in Inabanga town. Other damaged buildings were reported in Garcia-Hernandez estimated at P800,000 while damage in Duero town was placed at P700,000, the report said.

Based on the DepEd report on damages, seven classrooms of different barangays of Alburquerque town bore minor cracks; 11 each in Alicia and Antequera; three in Baclayon; ten in Balilihan and Catigbian; nine in Bien-Unido and Dagohoy; 15 in Bilar; eight in Buenavista and Cortes; two in Calape; 17 in Carmen; 14 in Clarin suffered cracks on walls and floors and other parts of the buildings. The cracks and other damages include the schools in Danao town with nine; Dimiao, three; Duero, seven; Garcia-Hernandez, San Miguel and Pilar with 12 each; Guindulman, 13; Inabanga, 26; Jagna, nine; Loay and Panglao, one each; Loboc and Sevilla with 3 each; Loon, 13; Maribojoc, 20; Talibon, 20; Tubigon and Sagbayan with 11 each;  Ubay, six; Sikatuna, five and Valencia, nine.