Typhoons, kidnapping of teachers shake education sector in 2009

MANILA, Philippines – In 2009, more than 10 public school teachers and officials were kidnapped in Mindanao on five separate occasions, and one of them was beheaded. In the last quarter of the year, typhoons “Ondoy”and “Pepeng” destroyed billions worth of public school property. These unforeseen and unwanted events shook the country’s already struggling education system.

Bandits in the troubled south have virtually made a living out of kidnapping educators and school officials.

On Jan. 23, three teachers from Arena Blanco National High School, Landang Gua Elementary School, and Landang Gua Annex were seized by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits while they were traveling by boat from Sacol Island half a mile from Zamboanga. They demanded a ransom of P3 million but it was not determined if it was paid. The victims – Rafael Mayonado, Janette de los Reyes, and Feires Quizon – were freed in May after government-led negotiations.

On March 13, three teachers from Bangkaw-bangkaw Elementary School in Sibugay, Zamboanga – Noemi Mandi, Jocelyn Inion, and Jocelyn Enriquez – were on their way home when a kidnap-for-ransom group led by a certain Kamsa Asdanal seized them and demanded P10 million for their freedom. They were released on Sept. 23.

In November, Gabriel Canizares Jr., the principal of Kan-augue Elementary School in Patikul, Sulu, was beheaded by Abu Sayyaf bandits after a month in captivity. His head was placed in a black bag and left in a corner gas station. His kidnappers had demanded a ransom of P2 million.

In December, Manobo gunmen seized 75 civilians including teachers and students of New Maasim Elementary School in Sitio Maitum-Maasim in Barangay San Martin, Agusan del Sur. All hostages were freed in less than a week.

In the same month, Basilan State College executive Orlando Fajardo was also taken by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits but was released after 14 days. His kidnappers initially demanded a P20-million ransom.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said while public school teachers brave the discomfort of teaching in far-flung schools, the government continually fails to protect them.

“With the government’s failure to bring justice to these teachers, we’re concerned that more of such cases will happen again,” ACT national president Antonio Tino said.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus blamed the spate of kidnappings on illiteracy.

“This lack of appreciation for education and educators means illiteracy. If we have a high rate of literacy, we can minimize such things from happening again,” Lapus said.

On top of the year-round kidnapping of educators in the south, the fury of back-to-back typhoons that ravaged the country in the last quarter of the year destroyed P1.2-billion worth of public school properties.

Regions hardest hit by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng were Metro Manila, and Regions I, II, III, IV, and the Cordillera region. Raging floods swept away school buildings, classrooms, textbooks and school furniture.

Lapus said the Department of Education’s (DepEd) P500-million disaster fund was exhausted after Ondoy wreaked havoc on the nation’s capital and surrounding provinces.

“We were proud to have set up a disaster quick response fund of P500 million for 2009 after the calamities we saw in 2008. But the P500 million, as we can see, was not enough, it was all used up after Ondoy,” Lapus said.

By the time Pepeng entered the country, DepEd was already heavily reliant on private donors for school supplies, cash, and other necessities to repair and reconstruct schools.

Lapus said the department needs to establish a better disaster readiness plan.

Public schools score higher in NAT

On the brighter side, DepEd announced in September that based on the results of the 2009 National Achievement Test (NAT), the competencies of public school students in core academic subjects Math, English, and Science are improving.

“The results show that we continue to gain ground in our battle to improve the quality of education in public schools,” Lapus said.

The mean percentage score (MPS) of public school students who took the NAT in 2009 rose to 66.33 from 64.81 percent in 2008 and 54.66 in 2006.

Lapus explained than an MPS of 66 is equivalent to a grade of 83 in a school report card. DepEd targets an MPS of 75 by 2010. –Rainier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star)