A new dawn for residents of Cambitu
The two classrooms inside Cambitu Elementary School
to be used by the pioneer high school students.
June 10, 2008 was not just an ordinary opening of school for the people of seven barangays in Oton, Iloilo. On that day was the birth of the first-ever high school that would serve Cambitu, acronym for the cluster of barangays located near the boundary of San Miguel town, namely, Barangays Caboloan Sur and Norte, Abilay Norte, Bita Sur and Norte, Mambog, and Tuburan.
The said barangays comprise a total population of more than 7,700 based on 2007 census of population by the National Statistics Office.
The high school class, which is actually an extension of the Oton National High School (ONHS), is temporarily housed at the Cambitu Elementary School in Brgy. Caboloan Sur.
The project was conceptualized by Oton Mayor Vincent Flores with the help of ONHS principal Lourdes C. Morones to help the residents of Cambitu who still send their children to town in order to get high school education.
Mayor Flores said schoolchildren from Cambitu have to bear dusty road and spare money for their tricycle fare everyday just to get to school.
He said some students even quit studying because of financial constraints.
"Putting up a high school here in Cambitu would greatly help the people in these barangays, they don't have to send their children to town which is more than seven kilometers away just to study high school," Mayor Flores said.
Mary Ann Gayotayan, teacher-in-charge of ONHS Cambitu extension, said a total of 79 students enrolled in this school opening. Initially, they accepted only first year high school students.
They divided the students into two sections using two classrooms inside Cambitu Elementary School. Two teachers from ONHS, funded by the Oton Local School Board, are assigned at the Cambitu extension.
Morones assured high school students in the Cambitu extension would avail of the same quality education offered in the ONHS main campus in poblacion Oton.
The mayor added that they are planning to acquire a lot adjacent to the Cambitu Elementary School to be used in putting up separate classrooms for the high school classes.
Meanwhile, Governor Niel Tupas, who graced the launching last Monday, pledged P200,000 for the high school and an additional teacher to be funded by the provincial government.
Monday's launching ceremony was attended by barangay and municipal officials as well as parents of pioneer students of the newly-born ONHS Cambitu extension.
Madelaine Aloro, principal of Cambitu Elementary School, said their school have been in existence for more than 60 years and admits an average of 500 pupils from grade 1 to 6 annually.