Home | To bottom

180 Philex students miss enrolment

BAGUIO CITY (June 16) — Almost two weeks after the opening of classes in public elementary and high schools on June 6, some 180 school children residing inside Philex Mining Corporation’s (Philex) Itogon mine camp are not yet attending classes. Most of these schoolchildren are dependents of retrenched mineworkers.

A local barangay official said, the children, from grade 1 to 4th year high school, were not admitted because their parents are no longer company employees. He said, however, that they are still residing in the Philex mine camp, insinuating that they are still entitled access to the schools inside.

Concerned parents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told NORDIS that school authorities in both Philex Mine Elementary School and Saint Louis High School refused admitting the children because Philex management requested them.

Last year, a parents’ protest pressured local government officials to intervene in behalf of the same children. Two weeks after classes started both schools readmitted the students.

Benguet Governor Borromeo Melchor and Vice-governor Cresencio Pacalso earlier asked Philex to utilize the social development fund for the education of those who are no longer dependents of mineworkers, as mandated by law.

Concerned parents wrote Department of Education (DepEd) Regional Director Remedios Taguba to intervene on their behalf, adding that they “believe that all children should be allowed to enroll in school nearest their place of residence. These schools inside the camp are the nearest that we can avail of.”

The company, the respondents said, reasons out that it is losing that it could no longer accommodate “outsiders”, referring to dependents of retrenched workers.

“They even refused to enroll the grandchildren of mineworkers who are still active in service,” a woman in her 40’s narrates. She said her husband has served the company for 31 years. All her 5 children went to schools in Philex, which now refuses to admit her grandchild.

Another guardian of a Grade 4 pupils appeals to the Philex management for its pittance. “I am too old to bring the little girl to Ampucao,” she said.

Philex has been implementing its camp decongestion program since last year when it started refusing the admission of children in schools inside the camp. Earlier it also ordered retrenched workers and their respective families to vacate camp premises.

While there are high school students who have sought enrolment in Barangay Ampucao, some 5-6 kilometers from the mine site, many still await the mercy of mine officials. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS

Home | Back to top