TAYASAN — Ten-year-old Galileo Balasabas Jr. cannot wait to get back to school. Being in the company of his classmates and friends would definitely be much better to the life he has had this past week. To keep himself busy, he tags along with his mother Emily, who is the barangay captain of Matauta, some ten minutes by motorcycle from the town proper.
“We were about to be dismissed when the earthquake struck,” he narrated. “First, we lay on the floor. When the earthquake got stronger, our teacher told us to run outside. If we did not do so, I might have been hit by the falling cabinet,” Galileo said.
Everyone rushed outside, leaving their school bags in the classroom, which still remained unclaimed as of Friday.
Galileo does not exhibit signs of trauma but some other pupils do.
“My granddaughter would not eat. She would, instead, stare emptily at a distance,” said Luciana Sameon. Sameon said her granddaughter was on her way home from school when the earthquake struck.
Floripas Balasabas, the town’s midwife, also said her 10-year-old daughter also developed fear after she saw their house swaying. “She doesn’t want to go back to school,” Balsabas said.
Balasabas said her daughter regained some of her confidence when she talked with their parish priest. “But she doesn’t want to talk about what happened,” Balasabas said.
Classes are to resume on Monday but instead of having classes inside the classroom, the pupils of the Matauta Elementary School will have classes in an open field because of the damage to all their classrooms.
“We are appealing for donations of tarapulin sheets for our improvised classrooms,” barangay captain and PTCA president Emily Balasabas said, during the relief goods distribution of the Energy Development Corporation in her barangay last Friday.
Balasabas said donors may text her through cell phone 09261552286.
The EDC gave bags of relief goods to pre-identified households in barangays Matauta, Banga and Tamao, all in Tayasan town.
Dwight Maxino, EDC vice president for Southern Negros Geothermal Production Field, said this was the third wave of relief operations, which also saw the distribution of relief goods to households in barangays Bangkal, Camandayon and Baye in the town of Jimalalud.
Dr. Marilyn S. Andales, provincial schools division superintendent of Negros Oriental, said they are submitting a report of damaged schoolbuildings to the DepEd central office.
She said that aside from the Matauta Elementary School, she has also received reports of damage in other towns.
EDC personnel distribute relief goods to residents of barangay Matauta and Banga in Tayasan town. The Matauta Elementary School in ruins following the Feb. 6 earthquake.
