A different Brigada

THE Davao City Government deployed its workers skilled in carpentry, house painting, plumbing, and electrical works to schools in six administrative districts of the city to help with renovation and minor repairs, and we can only say, “Why didn’t we think of that before?”

We know that the city government has skilled personnel in its City Engineer’s Office, Davao City Economic Enterprise, General Services Office, and City Mayor’s Office. They are on call. We also know how difficult it is to get skilled carpenters, house painters, plumbers, and electricians these days considering the boom in construction and dire lack in skilled labor.

“The directive is to give full assistance to all the schools to make sure that all of them are ready for the opening of classes. We already checked those which really needed minor repairs,” said Davao City Human Resource and Management Office head Erwin Alparaque. We say, “Hail!”

Public schools, especially, are always wanting for proper plumbing, and it helps to always check on the electrical layout of schools to ensure that these are safe. It is indeed a welcome decision and offer of help to public schools, and we are joining the voices of public school children and teachers in saying, “thank you” to the city for thinking of this.

Meanwhile, we join the Department of Education (Deped) in reminding parents to enrol their children now. While indeed it will take some expense to do so, squeezing out that last peso just to enrol the children will be an investment for their future and even helps their self-esteem.

There is nothing more worrying and at times degrading, than a child seeing his or her peers all enrolled while he/she waits for the parents to do the same. Public school is free, take advantage of this privilege, but do not add to the unnecessary stress of teachers and school administrators by waiting for the last minute or seeking special consideration after the prescribed registration period is over.

While we’re at it, maybe soon we can collectively gather volunteers to make sure that every school age child is enrolled. We can never underestimate the power of collective actions.