Just as more than 20 million students trekked to public schools nationwide for the beginning of the school year, the Aquino administration announced it was releasing One Billion pesos for the repair of school buildings damaged by last year’s powerful typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).
Many of the students will be returning to schools without roofs, without desks and chairs, and in many cases without walls. Some will be packed into small rooms like sardines and others will have to squat under trees in the open to receive academic instruction.
A familiar sight millions of students will be returning to this new school year in the Philippines School administrators, teachers, parents and students immediately criticized President Aquino for the much-delayed release of funds, coming more than six months after the devastating typhoon, and not in time for the beginning of the new school year.
Aquino, known for consistently blaming anyone and everyone for missteps, failures and inefficiencies of his administration, defended himself against critics by saying that someone messed with his desk calendar in his office in Malac añ ang (Philippine presidential palace).
A palace spokesperson said that Aquino’s desk calendar showed that it was only January 2, not June 2, when he authorized the release of funds. So to Aquino’s mind, there were at least five months remaining before the new school year, leaving enough time for the repairs and construction to be made.
Malac añ ang has ordered an investigation on who was responsible for altering the president’s desk calendar.
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