View source for Learning centers set up for Marawi students

*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/993142
*Sunday, June 4, 2017
:(EOF/PNA) 

COTABATO CITY -- Education officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao have designed a program that aims to establish learning centers in order not to hamper the opening of classes in conflict-stricken Marawi City.

Dr. John Magno, of the Department of Education (DepEd-ARMM), said his office has coordinated with DepEd in Region 10 and in Iligan City for the establishments of temporary learning centers.

"I would like to appreciate the positive response of our education officials from Iligan and Region 10," Magno said in a radio interview here.

The hostilities in Marawi City had affected 132 public and private schools, displacing 22,037 students and 1,507 teachers.

"Even in evacuation centers in Iligan City, learning centers can be established for student-evacuees," Magno said.

ARMM reported a total of 26,720 families or 133,700 individuals from the city and its nearby towns have evacuated, either in designated evacuation centers, or at their relatives’ houses.

Still, over 3,000 individuals are still stranded in war-torn Marawi.

Magno has directed all education superintendents, supervisors, principals and teachers and teachers in Lanao del Sur not affected by the Marawi crisis to accommodate students from the city who fled to their districts.

“The Marawi conflict should not deny students the opportunity to continue education in areas where they temporarily sheltered,” Magno said, hoping the hostilities in the city will be over soon.

The DepEd-ARMM also deploys newly trained personnel for psycho-social intervention on the affected students.

“We need to address the psychological impact of the conflict to students, especially the young, for them to cope up and move forward,” he added.

Public school teacher Aslimah Sampaco, 43, resident of the municipality of Marantao, said she is ready to teach in evacuation center put up by ARMM in Balabagan, Lanao del Sur, about 43 kilometers from her town.

Marantao is next to Marawi City and residents there fled to Balabagan town and attended to by ARMM Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team (HEART).

She shared how she and her family escaped during the crisis. Sampaco was in Iligan City on the day that the fighting between the terrorists and government forces started.

She knew it was no longer safe for her to go back to Marantao because she had to pass through Marawi City. But she decided to take a very perilous journey, passing by the battle zones, walking, sometimes running, then paused to eat and drink water as gunfire and aerial attacks were happening.

She made it through Marantao from Iligan after eight hours of walking and reunited with her family before fleeing to Balabagan town.

Sampaco said she will gather her pupils in Purakan Elementary School in Balabagan, Lanao del Sur where most of her students are temporarily housed.

”I am not sure yet if we can open classes on Monday, may be within the week we can,” she said.