House lawmaker leads inspection of quake-struck schools in Peñuelas

By THE STAR STAFF

House Education Committee Chairwoman Tatiana Pérez Ramírez led an on-site inspection over the weekend of six schools in the municipalities of Peñuelas, Guayanilla, Yauco and Guánica that suffered damage as a result of the earthquakes that occurred in January 2020.

During the visit, the at-large legislator was accompanied by the Deputy Associate Education Secretary Sheykirisabel Cucuta González; Office for the Improvement of Public Schools (OMEP) Director Francisco Ríos; Ponce District Sens. Jamie Barlucea Rodríguez and Marially González Huertas; District 23 Rep. Ensol Rodríguez; the staff of District 21 Rep. Omayra Martínez; and mayors Josean González Febres of Peñuelas, Raúl Rivera Rodríguez of Guayanilla and Ismael “Titi” Rodríguez Ramos of Guánica.

During the tour the officials evaluated the current infrastructure of the modular schools and learned firsthand about the reconstruction process of the original buildings. Pérez Ramírez emphasized the importance of ensuring that students and teachers have safe and adequate facilities.

“This visit gave us the opportunity to speak directly with members of the school communities, learn about their needs, and monitor the status of the reconstruction of these schools,” she said. “We know there has been progress, but there is still work to be done to ensure our students have optimal learning spaces.

The legislator also emphasized that her office will be closely monitoring the implementation of infrastructure projects in the region.