By Divina Suson – PNA News
MARAWI CITY–Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Datu Abul Khayr Alonto has expressed dismay upon discovering that a secondary school in this city has no electric connection yet, with teachers saying they have to take a two-kilometer ride downtown to print documents.
Alonto said he found out the situation at Lake Lanao National High School (LLNHS) in Barangay Sugod here during his visit on November 14, when he accompanied the United States Agency International Development (USAID) to open its solar electrification project.
The recipient of the project, the village’s health center, is located inside the school vicinity.
Alonto said it was regrettable that the LLNHS students haven’t been able to take advantage of the Internet because of the lack of power.
“I was dismayed and surprised that they don’t have it (electricity) when they are a national high school. I am now addressing the city government so that they can take it up with the autonomous government,” Alonto said Monday, referring to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which has administrative supervision of the school.
Following Alonto’s complaint, local officials on Monday said they are coordinating with the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TBFM) to ensure that the school gets power connection by yearend. TBFM is the government arm tasked with the city’s rehabilitation after last year’s disastrous five-month siege by ISIS-linked militants.
Marawi Mayor Majul Gandamra said he will ask LLNHS officials why the school remained deprived of electricity for years.
“Electricity is being supplied by LASURECO (Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative) and necessarily, it should be the responsibility of the administrator of that school to coordinate with LASURECO for power connection,” Gandamra said in a text message.
Gandamra said he agrees with Alonto that Marawi needs to invest more in education.
LLNHS teacher Rahima Malatus said faculty members like her must travel 10 minutes to the town proper to print documents and instructional materials in Internet cafes.
“We have personal laptops and we have printers donated to the school. But we cannot use them because we have no power connection,” Malatus said.
LLNHS has 18 teachers and 481 students.
Malatus said they were “envious” when USAID installed a solar panel roof at the adjacent barangay’s health center.
“Mabuti pa sila, may kuryente na. Sana kami isali rin niyan (Lucky for them they have electricity. I hope they would include us here in school),” Malatus said.
