On the second anniversary on one of the administration’s “greatest reform program”, teacher group Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and other militant groups hit the Department of Education over alleged “poorly-ventilated teacher training venues.”
In a protest action held at the Philippine International Convention Center, ACT chairman Benjamin Valbuena lamented the alleged “poorly-funded teacher mass trainings conducted which resulted into four casualties already.”
The group said “trainings are held in poorly-ventilated venues which has four casualties already – two of them are still in the intensive care unit and the other one even died.”
The group cited Ms. Marlene Mancao, a Grade 10 Mathematics Teacher from Talisay City National High School in Talisay City, Cebu Province who collapsed after her presentation and was rushed to the hospital and died last May 10, 2015 due to cardiac arrest.
Another was Mrs. Helen Lim of Pura Kalaw Elementary School in Quezon City, who, on May 22, also collapsed and was rushed to Villarosa Hospital and later transferred to the ICU of the World Citi Hospital.
Teachers Blesida Urmatam from Recto High School and Apolinaria Santos of V. Mapa High School, both 38 years old collapsed also around 4:00 p.m. last May 26, 2015. Both teachers were rushed to Manila Medical Center. Teacher Santos is still in the ICU of the hospital.
Despite the fact that these happened while they were discharging their duties, the Department of Education gave nothing to offset the expenses they incurred citing unavailability of funds as reason.
When asked for a reaction, DepEd Usecretary Dina Ocampo noted that the mass teacher trainings that she visited were all conducive. The department will also investigate the above-mentioned incidents.