By Sarwell Meniano/Philippine News Agency
TACLOBAN CITY — Students from the coastal village of Catumsan in Arteche, Eastern Samar will no longer travel six kilometers to the town center to attend classes.
This, after the local government unit of Arteche and the Department of Education opened on Monday the first-ever secondary school in the village, with a road network that connects the town to Northern Samar province.
Mayor Roland Boie Evardone, school principal Noel Porteza, and village chief Mario Ellado led the opening of the first secondary school in the community.
The Catumsan Integrated School (CIS) welcomed its 15 pioneering students on Monday.
The LGU promised to cover the expenses for the school uniform, bags, notebooks, and school supplies of the students and teaching staff.
At present, students are having their class in a makeshift classroom as the construction of the school building will still start in a few days.
“The opening of CIS gives more access to secondary education for Catumsan and nearby villages of Arteche including adjacent areas in Northern Samar,” said Evardone in a phone interview on Friday.
“This will also curb the increasing high school dropouts from these villages because of distance and poverty,” he added.
Due to the distance and high transportation costs, most children in the coastal villages opted not to study after completing elementary.
With the opening of a secondary school in the village, families will be able to save PHP100 daily on transportation expenses.
Meanwhile, the local government re-launched this week the “Plastic Palit Lapis”, a year-round project of the local solid waste management office, which encourages residents to exchange collected plastic with school items.
“The project aims to lessen plastic waste disposal by recycling it and turning it into eco-bricks,” said Jiezel Lazarra of Arteche Solid Waste Management Office in her social media post.
Each plastic bottle filled with plastic waste may be exchanged for school supplies such as bags, notebooks, pencils, pen, paper, eraser, and even flip flops. Those who can bring 20 plastic bottles filled with plastic may also redeem raincoat and umbrella.
Arteche, a 3rd class town with a population of 16,000, is 205 kilometers northeast of this city.
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