16 Mandaue City public schools damaged by quake

At least 16 out of 48 public schools in Mandaue City sustained partial damage following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu on September 30, according to a report from the Mandaue City Office of the Building Official (OBO) and city engineers.

- Kristin de Dios/FPL

This was revealed after Mayor Thadeo Jovito "Jonkie" Ouano conducted an inspection on Monday, October 6, at Mandaue City Comprehensive National High School, Mandaue City Central School, and Looc Elementary School.

"Partially damaged lang, dili pud whole school ang na-damage — naa lang gyud mga parts nga nadaot," Mayor Ouano said.

At the Mandaue City Comprehensive National High School, cracks were observed on some columns, while at Looc Elementary School, the building locally known as the "Petron Building" was found to be tilted.

The mayor clarified, however, that the structure had already been slightly tilted even before the quake.

To ensure the safety of students, the damaged building remains off-limits even though classes have resumed following the temporary suspension after the earthquake.

Mayor Ouano said he has instructed the OBO and the City Engineering Office to recheck the structures.