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Benguet dads assail Philex’s non-admission of students

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (June 25) — Students who were refused enrolment by two schools inside a mine site in Itogon and Tuba towns found allies in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan who said they believe that “the non-acceptance of students is improper and violates the provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution and the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 (RA 7942)”.

Benguet legislators recently passed an urgent resolution requesting Education Secretary Florencio B. Abad and Environment Secretary Michael T. Defensor to intervene in behalf of some 200 elementary school pupils and high school students who were denied enrolment in schools in Philex Mining Corporation (Philex). These schools refused the enrolment of all dependents of separated employees, including those who were hired as casual, contractual and project employees. Philex Mines Elementary School in Padcal, Tuba and Saint Louis High School-Philex in Ampucao, Benguet, both private institutions operated by Philex responded to the mining firm’s earlier directive not to accept the said students.

Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No. 05-196 invoked Article XIV, Section 1 of the Philippine Constitution which “requires the state to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels” and “to take all appropriate steps to makes such education accessible to all”. The board members underscored the word “accessible” for emphasis.

The same resolution also quoted some provisions of the IRR of RA 7942 as saying that “a contractor shall assist in the development of its mining community to promote the general welfare of its inhabitants living in the host and neighboring communities”; and specified “expenditures that shall enhance the development of mining and neighboring communities such as the establishment and maintenance of community schools, churches and creation of facilities which will be opened to the general public whether or not they are mine employees.” Again, the emphasis were done by the legislators.

Earlier last week a group of Philex mine workers’ wives and some of the retrenched workers still living inside the camp site forwarded a letter to Department of Education (DepEd) Regional Dir. Remedios Taguba appealing for the readmission of the students.

A dialogue between the local government unit of Benguet and DepEd’s Abad is being arranged but no update reached NORDIS as of press time. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS

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