Several schools in Tagbilaran City resumed in-person classes on Tuesday after being cleared as safe for occupancy following structural inspections conducted by the City Government’s Rapid Post-Earthquake Assessment Team.
Mayor Jane Yap said that the assessment, jointly carried out by the City Engineering Office, City Planning Office, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), and the Department of Education (DepEd), confirmed that dozens of public and private schools have received a green tag, indicating they are structurally sound.
As of 8:30 p.m. Monday, a total of 53 schools-including Tagbilaran City Science High School, Cogon National High School, Mansasa Elementary School, University of Bohol, Tagbilaran City College, and several day care centers-were cleared to resume in-person classes.
Yap said the city remains committed to ensuring the safety of students and teachers, noting that the inspections primarily focused on multi-story buildings.
‘After careful evaluation, the cleared schools are now safe for face-to-face classes. However, rooms with identified structural issues must remain off-limits until repaired,’ Yap said.
Meanwhile, as of 10:20 p.m. on Monday, the city government reported that 10 private schools have not yet been physically inspected or submitted their engineers’ clearances. These are Great Minds Academy, Royal Christian School, Holy Name University, Bohol Wisdom School, BIT International College (BIT-IC), Bohol Island State University (BISU), Holy Infant School, PMI Colleges, St. Therese School of Tagbilaran, and Holy Spirit School.
The city clarified that these private institutions may proceed with face-to-face classes provided they coordinate with the assessment team for proper guidance and monitoring. Inspectors will visit the campuses on Tuesday, October 14, to verify the safety and structural integrity of their buildings.
School administrators are advised to contact COS Cathy Torremocha at 0908-892-1455 or 0917-890-3531 for verification and inclusion in the cleared list.
Yap also directed all schools in Tagbilaran City to conduct earthquake and fire drills this week with assistance from the CDRRMO and partner agencies.
‘We cannot predict aftershocks, but we can prepare. Safety remains our top priority,’ Yap noted.
Based on the latest Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index and data from DepEd Tagbilaran City Division, the city has 13,658 elementary students (Kinder to Grade 6), 29,049 junior and senior high school students, and 87,671 college students from both public and private institutions.
This brings the total student population to 130,378, each representing ‘someone’s child, sibling, or friend’ whose safety the city considers a top priority./coa