Kidapawan exec orders 1 week suspension of classes
KIDAPAWAN CITY – To ensure safety of everyone, especially pupils, classes in all levels, both private and public, in Kidapawan City have been suspended until Friday.
City Mayor Joseph Evangelista made the announcement as he met with some 200 teachers from the Kidapawan City schools division Monday morning.
Evangelista explained that the suspension of classes is necessary to save lives and properties and ensure the safety of students.
Since Oct. 16, when the Magnitude 6.3 quake rocked North Cotabato with an epicenter traced 22 km east of Tuluna, North Cotabato, the Phivolcs have recorded more than 1,000 aftershocks, to include two major shocks, the Oct. 29 and Oct. 31 tremors.
The cancellation, Evangelista explained, was also meant to allow structural engineers and the public works office to assess and evaluate the integrity of the school buildings.
“Classrooms with cracks on the walls and beams should not be used unless checked by experts,” Evangelista said.
The city government, Evangelista assured, is ready to help Department of Education (DepEd) put up temporary learning centers (TLC) for schools with damaged school buildings.
TLC is a makeshift classrooms for pupils made of tarpaulin or indigenous materials.