DUMAGUETE CITY, Feb. 17 (PIA) – After Typhoon “Odette” damaged some schools in Negros Oriental, the Department of Education (DepEd) here is coordinating with election officers in the municipalities to identify alternate polling centers.

This was revealed by DepEd-Negros Oriental Division Superintendent Senen Paulin in a Kapihan sa PIA forum on Feb. 15.

“It has posed a challenge because we have a number of schools which have been badly damaged by the typhoon which were already identified as polling places. I have raised this issue to our regional director and he has advised me that we refer this matter to our LGU (local government unit),” Paulin said.

Paulin said he already instructed the district supervisors to closely coordinate with their respective municipal election officers to finalize the list of schools that will serve as alternate polling centers during the May 9 elections.

District supervisors are also directed to contact their municipal engineers and electricians to assess the school’s electrical systems so the department can request for repairs and other improvements as early as possible to the LGU.

Records from the DepEd Negros Oriental Division show there are 542 schools in the municipalities identified as polling centers but the list still needs to be finalized.

Paulin also reported that district supervisors in the municipalities have submitted the list of teachers who will comprise the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) on election day in line with the Commission on Election (COMELEC)’s Resolution No. 10727.

However, he noted that in some areas, there is a shortage of teachers who can serve as BEIs.

He said he is closely coordinating with the COMELEC in the province to address this.

DepEd Negros Oriental Division covers public schools in the municipalities except for Vallehermoso which is under the Division Office of Guihulngan City, Pamplona which is under the Division of Tanjay City, and Basay which is under Bayawan City Division. (RAL/PIA7 Negros Oriental)