Davao City (10 October) -- Education Secretary Jesli Lapus vehemently denied reports that the education department has prohibited the use of school buildings as evacuation centers throughout the country.

"Hinding-hindi namin ipinagbabawal yon for humanitarian reasons dahil walang matakbuhan ang mga taong nagsilikas dahil sa kalamidad o dahil sa kaguluhan," he said.

Davao City is blessed by the Almighty God because this is a typhoon-free area, but in many cities in our country, every now and then, napakalaki ng pinsalang nagagawa sa iba't-ibang lugar dahil sa bagyo, he further said.

Secretary Lapus, was in Davao City the other day with Davao City 2nd district representative Vincent Garcia to lead the formal inauguration of two school buildings: one was the first 3-storey school building in F. Bangoy NHS in Sasa; and the other was the 2-storey school facility at Sixto Babao ES at Ilang, Tibungco.

Secretary Lapus, in an informal interview with Davao mediamen said that "education is the number one anti-poverty measure being implemented by the government and investment in education has the highest return on investment." We cannot go wrong if we invest our local taxes or our pork barrel and country development fund in education just like what Congressman Garcia has been doing in his own district to address the lack of classrooms here, he said.

In answer to a query, Lapus said that "imposing tax on text messaging is a finance matter but kung maipapasa ito sa Kongreso, we welcome any move for additional resources on education, but I'd rather not comment on the merits of taxing text messaging."

Since information technology has been integrated in education, he said by the end of this year, DepEd will establish computer laboratory in every high school across the nation.

In his speech during the turn-over ceremony at FBangoy NHS, Secretary Lapus congratulated Congressman Garcia of the 2nd district for putting his pork barrel more on education and addressing the lack of classrooms in his district. The lack of classrooms has been a perennial problem throughout the country and the government has been trying its best to solve this, he said.

The 3-storey edifice is the first of its kind in the 2nd district of Davao City at napakaganda at matibay ang eskuwelahang ito kung kaya't ako'y nananawagan sa inyong lahat, sa mga opisyales at estudyante na pangalagaan ninyo itong mabuti sapagka't mayroon pang dagdag na mga classrooms ang mailalagay natin yan, he said at Congressman Garcia who requested him (Lapus) for another nine (9) classrooms adjacent to the said school building.