Out from the clamps of communist idealism, former Salugpongan pupils do not mind attending classes in a makeshift classroom supervised by the Department of Education (DepEd) in a far-away village in Paquibato District.

Colonel Nolasco Mempin, the commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, said the makeshift classroom is just temporary to bridge the education needs of 51 primary pupils in Sitio Gatungon, Barangay Tapak, Paquibato District.

This will also ease the pupils’ burden of walking for hours to go to the nearest DepEd school in Paquibato.

“This temporary school donated by some of our partner stakeholders like UBI (Ulticon Builders Inc), Peace 911 and DepEd will surely address the lack of classrooms with teachers in far-flung areas,” he said.

The makeshift classroom was activated on Tuesday weeks after the suspension of Salugpongan Ta Tanu Igkanungon schools in the city for lack of government permits and non-accreditation by DepEd.

Mempin said there is a need to facilitate the proper education of the pupils in DepEd schools.

Besides the lack of permit and accreditation from DepEd, the Salugpongan schools were also alleged training grounds and the site of recruitment by the New People’s Army (NPA).

“The CPP-NPA- NDF targets the communities for their exploitation and recruitment in their extremism and struggles to topple existing and change it with their Marxist-Leninist-Maoist socialism form of government through the Salugpungan schools,” Mempin said.

If schools do not have permits, accredited or recognized by DepEd, pupils of said schools could not proceed to higher grade level. CIO