Far-flung Siargao school gets first-ever internet connection

Once devastated by Super Typhoon Odette, a small elementary school in Siargao Island is now experiencing a transformation, thanks to its first internet connection.

Cabawa Elementary School (CES), tucked away in the remote barangay of Cabawa in Dapa, Surigao del Norte, went online for the first time in May through the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) “Free Wi-Fi for All” initiative.

“For the first time, our kindergarten and Grade 1 pupils are learning through online materials on television,” school head Bobby Eres Navarro told the Philippine News Agency Saturday.

Despite having only 60 students and five teachers handling multiple grade levels, the school has faced years of hardship.

Barangay Cabawa is accessible only by a 30-minute boat ride from Dapa, and most families depend on fishing for their livelihood.

But internet access has changed things dramatically. Teachers can now communicate directly with the Schools Division Office, and access educational materials and administrative support that were once out of reach.

“This internet connection has been a game changer,” Navarro said.

The school is still recovering from the impact of Super Typhoon Odette (Typhoon Rai), which ravaged the island in December 2021. The storm destroyed classrooms and left students without proper desks or chairs.

With no immediate assistance, parents took it upon themselves to make repairs and build long writing tables from salvaged wood.

“We’re using the barangay’s plastic chairs for Grades 5 and 6,” Navarro said.

During an online meeting with officials from the Department of Education (DepEd) and DICT, Navarro shared the school’s continuing struggles and the pressing need for proper furniture.

He said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. responded positively, instructing the DepEd to include CES in its nationwide furniture distribution program.

With a digital lifeline now in place, the community is hopeful that more improvements will follow.

“For a long time, we’ve felt left behind,” Navarro said. “Now our children have a chance to catch up.”