Roque said more than 2,600 people signed a petition on Change.org started by Otto Lingue National High School principal Tess Tarranza, who was frustrated at the lack of action by authorities to fix the ruptured landslide wall of the school in a village called Lower Sibatang.
Tarranza and Faye Reyes, of Checkmyschool.org launched the petition on Change.org just a week ago and it already gathered more than 1,600 signatures in a span of 24 hours and quickly became viral on Facebook and Twitter, she said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
She said Tarranza launched the petition as a last-ditch effort after countless appeals to authorities were ignored.
“I believe everything happens for a reason. If not for this petition, these local officials would not have responded as urgently as they have done now,” Reyes said.
The ruptured landslide wall of the school is on the verge of collapse putting an entire class of 4th year students and teachers in danger. Huge amount of rocks and soil have already started to erode amid heavy rains that come almost every afternoon.
The students, teachers and lab facilities have been removed from the unsafe building and are transferred to safer and higher grounds. They will temporarily hold their classes in tents while official work is underway to address the problem in the long term. The building and landslide wall are now condemned and declared off limits.
“I am feeling very happy and relieved because of the local government’s commitment to save our school, as well as the overwhelming support we received online,” Tarranza said.
“This is a significant victory because it shows how people with the least power in society are empowered to hold public officials accountable and compel them to take action. Change.org has played a vital role in facilitating a number of supporters for the petition. Foremost, it becomes an avenue where our small voice echoed out loud to the concerned individuals and government agencies.”
In an open letter posted on Change.org, Tarranaza wrote: “Otto Lingue National High School has lately encountered a serious problem due to the destroyed portion of a Riprap project in which, if not given any immediate action, may cause correspondingly the destruction of the lives of students, teachers and school property. As it happened last July 17, 2012 and up to the present, nothing has been done except for the ocular survey of the City Engineer’s office, Pagadian City with its recommendations. Considering the frequency of the heavy rains in the place where the school is located and latest worsening of the situation, hence, an appeal for sincere help is being asked through any individual or organization.”
“With the recent Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting on August 4, 2012, there were parents who have already expressed their apprehension regarding the situation that they have planned to let their childrein transfer to other nearby schools. Likewise, there were parents who would like that there an investigation to be conducted regarding the construction of the said Riprap Project.”
Tarranza said: “It is then our hope that appropriate action will be extended to the school the soonest possible time as the feeling of helplessness is felt except for the Divine Intervention.”
For background, she said: “Ang paaralan po ay may inaalala sa kanilang kaligtasan ng kanilang mga pasilidad , mga guro at mag-aaral. Meron pong malaking bitak sa ginawang pader para mapigilan ang landslide. Pinangangambahan ng mga guro at mga magulang na kung magkaroon ng isang malakas na ulan, ito po ay maaring bumigay at tumama sa katabing classroom. Isa ding pangamba ay ang magkaroon ng pagguho ng lupa dahil ang ginawang pader ay merong malaking bitak. Sana po ay inyong matugunan ang kanilang problema para sa kanilang kaligtasan.”
In a recent round table discussion, different stakeholders including city engineers, councillors, education officials, nongovernmental organizations, parents, village and school officials have outlined several short and long-term solutions, including disaster preparedness training for the students and a program of work to be drafted by City Engineer’s Office for the school based on the recommendations by the representatives of Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Roque said: “This petition shows that ordinary citizens can mobilize through the internet and come together to make a difference even in the most remote communities.”
Change.org is the world’s fastest growing platform for social change, enabling anyone, anywhere to start, join and win campaigns on issues they care about.
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