Stuck in Iligan City
The two Zapatera Elementary School teachers who were stranded in Marawi City due to the ongoing siege may not make it to the school opening.
Alaina Macabato and Salmah Abdullah handle Grade 2 classes. They also teach Madrasah Education, a program by the Department of Education (DepEd), to Muslim students.
They went to Marawi City last May 21 to celebrate Ramadan with their families. They were supposed to return last Friday.
Luzviminda Pingol, the school’s assistant principal, said that Macabato and Abdullah are safe, but they can’t secure tickets because ships leaving Cagayan de Oro for Cebu City are fully booked.
They’re now in Iligan City, Pingol said.
“They are safe from immediate threats of a terrorist attack. And we keep texting/calling them from time to time for status updates,” Pingol said in Cebuano.
Abdullah, 41, has been teaching at school for eight years, while 24-year-old Macabato joined four years ago.
The school plans to give them a month off following the siege of Marawi City by members of the Maute group.
“They might have been traumatized by the events, that’s why we plan to give them a break and hire substitute teachers,” Pingol said in Cebuano.
Minang Manggis, DepEd Cebu City Division Madrasah education coordinator, said that Abdullah and Macabato are regular Madrasah education teachers, a program introduced to 21 public schools in the city for Muslim students. /