Sec. Lapus orders deactivation of 3 school divisions in EV towns stripped of cityhood
GOV’T CENTER, Palo, Leyte — Education Secretary Jesli Lapus ordered for the deactivation of school divisions in three local government units in Eastern Visayas earlier stripped of their cityhood status by the Supreme Court.
The school divisions ordered deactivated by Lapus were in Baybay, Leyte; Catbalogan, Samar and Borongan, Eastern Samar. The school divisions were established last August 21, 2008.
However, the three lost their cityhood status when the Supreme Court earlier ruled that they failed to meet the financial requirements of P100 million. The High Court also stripped 13 towns in other regions of their cityhood.
The deactivation of these school districts was contained in an order issued by Lapus dated October 23 but was only received by the regional office of the Department of Education about two weeks ago, education assistant regional director Alberto Escobarte said.
The basis of the deactivation of these school divisions was by virtue of the decision of the Supreme Court denying these towns of their cityhood. The Supreme Court thus ruled that Republic Act 9389, Republic Act 9391 and Republic Act 9394, which created the cityhood of Baybay, Catbalogan and Borongan respectively, were null and void.
The cityhood of these towns was questioned by the League of Cities of the Philippines, which was affirmed by the Supreme Court.
Escobarte said that he had already informed the mayors of the affected towns on the decision of their department on the deactivation of the school divisions.
Borongan Mayor Fidel Anacta had confirmed that he was already informed of this “sad” development.
“We have talked about it. And the reason given for the deactivation of our school division was because we are no longer recognized as a city,” Anacta said.
With the deactivation of these school divisions, the personnel assigned there would be reassigned back to their old positions.
“The education supervisors and their staff will go back to their original positions,” Escobarte said.
Close to a hundred personnel will return to their old positions, the assistant regional director said.
Escobarte said that the closure of these school divisions would not affect the delivery of education to these towns. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
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