DAVAO CITY- Schools for indigenous peoples communities are made available in far-flung Barangay Gupitan which covers 37 villages at the peripheral areas of Kapalong Municipality.
In a recent press conference with the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), Kapalong Municipal Mayor Maria Theresa Timbol said 30 IP schools have been set up in Barangay Gupitan of the 34 locally funded through the Local School Board (LSB).
Among those villages where Kapalong LGU had recently opened an IP school was Sitio Tapayanon which the 60th Infantry Battalion discovered early this year nestled at the Pantaron Range at the tri-boundary of Davao del Norte, Bukidnon and Agusan.
Timbol went on to reveal that Kapalong LGU has hired teachers deployed to these makeshift IP schools and that they are being paid P10,000 per month sourced from local funds. Sent for 20 days in a month to assigned sitios, the teachers are supplied food by the local government. Timbol said these IP school teachers are also handling classes for parents during weekends
Noting this situation, Timbol took time asking NAPC Secretary Noel Felongco who did an ocular visit in Sitio Tapayanon last Monday, to help her follow up the Department of Education (DepEd) for approval of the position items of the locally-paid IP school teachers.
“Apila pud ang school building Sir kay makeshift schools pa lang ni sila,” (Please include the school buildings sir because they are still makeshift schools) he said referring to the IP schools that the local government of Kapalong had set up in 30 villages of barangay Gupitan.
Meanwhile, Timbol also told the media that eight public secondary schools have been operational in Barangay Gupitan and that the Kapalong College of Arts, Sciences and Technology (KCAST) “has started holding classes in Gupitan on free tuition.”
“Looking forward, hopefully by next year the college will become a community college. That is the direction of CHED (Commission on Higher Education),” she said as she revealed engagements with CHED for KCAST to comply with CHED requirement for local colleges to open community extension campuses. PIA DavNor