Its walls bear huge cracks, its ceiling almost collapsing, and its fence reduced to rubble. In fact, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) gave the school a red code, declaring it unsafe to hold classes.
Furthermore, situated in the coastal town of Maribojoc, the school is also prone to storm surge. Despite this, almost 90 schoolchildren trooped back to Dipatlong Primary School during the school opening.
To help schoolchildren of Dipatlong Primary School and nine more public elementary schools in Maribojoc prepare for earthquakes, storm surges and other disasters, Rescue5, the Emergency Response Unit of TV5 News and Information (News5), gave them copies of its specialized activity book on disaster preparedness in Sinugbuanong Binisaya, the mother tongue in Bohol.
The activity book’s distribution was part of Rescue 5’s “Oplan Handa sa Eskwela 2014” project. The team also handed out 72-hour survival kits (backpacks containing emergency devices and school supplies) to 600 kids.
“We developed the Rescue5 activity book and had it translated to various native languages, so that children in different parts of the country can better understand how they can protect themselves during disasters,” TV5 Public Service Sherryl Yao (right) said.
The schoolchildren excitedly answered their activity books, while News5 anchor Paolo Bediones guided them. He also conducted a disaster preparedness demo that includes making an improvised floatation device, and doing the “drop, cover and hold on” during an earthquake.
The Rescue5 activity book has passed the review of the DepEd. It contains games, puzzles, pictures to color and other fun activities in order to teach kids what to do in case of disasters. It also explains what a storm surge is.
The activity book’s Waray edition was given out to kids affected by super typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban City, Leyte, while its Tagalog edition was distributed to kids affected by the Habagat flooding in Mega Manila last year.
“Oplan Handa sa Eskwela 2014” project partners are DepEd, JCI Bohol Chocolate Hills, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines, Pru Life UK, Sparkles and Sterling Paper Products, Inc.
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