© UNICEF Philippines/2012/Maitem - Students at Consolacion Elementary School in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, use UNICEF-provided school packs to resume their studies.
By Marge Francia
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines, 25 January 2012 – In City Central School, in Cagayan de Oro City, two teachers recently held their first day of classes since the devastating floods that swept through their community – even as their own futures looks uncertain.
Vivian Benedictos and Marilou Gambuta, co-teachers and best friends, share a first-grade classroom at the school. It is a space they not only teach in, but now also live in.
Escaping the floods
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| ©UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0008/Maitem - Children and women displaced by Tropical Storm Washi lie on the floor of an evacuation centre in the coastal city of Iligan in Northern Mindanao Region. |
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When Tropical Storm Washi (locally known as Sendong) tore through the city in December, it unleashed a deluge that wiped out whole communities, including Ms. Benedictos’s and Ms. Gambuta’s. But by working together, they managed to save both their families from the rushing floods.
“I could hear that the water was already behind us,” said Ms. Gambuta. “I didn’t want to look back because I knew I wouldn’t find my house there anymore. I covered my ears because I could hear my neighbours screaming for help.”
As soon as her family was out of harm’s way, she called Ms. Benedictos, warning her to flee before the floodwaters descended on her town.
“When I heard from Marilou, I started to panic and shout. I told people, ‘let’s go,’ but my neighbours didn’t believe me,” said Ms. Benedictos. “The water started to rise, and I got out of the house. My sister and my children stayed on the second floor, thinking they would be safe there, so I had to go back and get them. By the time we left the house, the water was already chest-deep.”
After escaping the floods, the teachers were reunited in their classroom. It has been their home – and their families’ home – ever since.
Schools help children heal
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© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0006/Maitem - A girl stands inside Consolation Elementary School in the city of Cagayan de Oro in Northern Mindanao Region. The school was damaged by floods from Tropical Storm Washi. |
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Others were not so lucky. Among the estimated 1.1 million people affected by the disaster, 6,071 were injured and 1,257 killed. According to recent Department of Education figures, at least six education personnel and more than 100 students were killed, and almost 200 students remain missing.
Many schools were completely or partially destroyed, or are being used as evacuation centres. Students whose schools have been repurposed as evacuation centres have had conduct classes in basketball courts or municipal halls.
But returning to school is essential for all flood-affected children. School helps children resume a sense of normalcy, which is critical to their emotional recovery. Schools are also a protective environment for children, who are more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse in the aftermath of disasters. And in the long-term, education promotes social cohesion and contributes to the social and economic stability of the flood-affected areas.
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