‘CamHigh’ faces P45-M destruction due to ‘Kristine’

By Jason B. Neola

FOLLOWING the extensive destruction wrought by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, the Camarines Sur National High School (CSNHS) main campus is working to recover from an estimated P 45 million in damages.

The storm, which hit the Bicol Region on October 22, left the campus flooded, with water levels reaching over five feet.

The widespread flooding devastated school facilities, submerging classrooms and offices in mud and debris. Damaged items include essential resources like desks, tables, school and office supplies, and numerous technology assets.

Forty laptops, which were delivered to the school just weeks before the storm, were among the hardest-hit items, alongside a Risograph machine, books, and other office equipment.

Sulpicio Alferez III, the school principal, expressed his distress over the significant loss of resources, especially the recently acquired laptops. “It’s heart-breaking to see the damage, especially to resources that had only just arrived,” he said.

Expensive cooking utensils used in Technology and Livelihood Education (T.L.E.) classes, along with office furniture, were also severely affected.

In the wake of the storm, the school has mobilized efforts to restore and clean the campus in time for the November 11 resumption of classes. The quick recovery is vital to ensure students and teachers can return safely to their learning environment, alongside other public and private schools in the city.

Despite the massive clean-up ahead, CSNHS remains committed to its restoration efforts, hoping to bring back a sense of normalcy for its students and staff in the days to come.

LARGE volumes of flood-damaged books, documents and office supplies (copy papers) set out to dry in the sun after being submerged in muddy waters at the Camarines Sur National High School main campus in Barangay Peñafrancia in Naga City. JBN PHOTOS