Catholic Management says Holy Angels’ Plight is Not its Responsibility

Rodolfo Garcia

Today only forty-five students showed up at Holy Angels School in Pomona. Most of those students are from the standard-six class. Since parents demonstrated on Monday about the deplorable conditions of the school buildings, they have kept their children at home. We have heard from the students, parents, teachers and principal, but today, the Local Manager for the Catholic Schools, Rodolfo Garcia, broke his silence on the matter. He claims that a solution is coming for the school, but he didn’t share details of that solution.

Rodolfo Garcia, Local Manager for Catholic Schools

“I think that the issue will be solved maybe this week but sometimes we need to wait; not forever. We are giving a solution that will come I think maybe this week.”

Andrea Polanco

“When you say the issue will be solved – the entire roof?”

Rodolfo Garcia

“The building. We are talking about the budget that they presented of sixty thousand. So, I am being referred to that situation. You will say that is your responsibility – but no that is not my responsibility. We have people who work there. We have a principal, vice-principal and a staff of teachers. So, I think we need to check. What we have to do is be a little bit more careful in these situations. Also here is a big management. We have twelve schools – maybe with the biggest school in this country in Bella Vista. I think we need to learn from this experience like we did with Sacred Heart.”

Andrea Polanco

“You are here almost five years now – so why is that until the last minute; until the health officials stepped in to close down this building that the Catholic Management is saying, “oh, here is two thousand dollars?”

Rodolfo Garcia

“Like I told you I visited that building like two months ago and so it was like two months ago when I encountered the situation. So, I spoke with the manager and told them that we will look and see what we can do. But what you need to understand is that I am not the only one who needs to give the answers to that. When you speak about the Catholic Management – I am not the Catholic Management. I am a part of that.”

Andrea Polanco

“But you are the one who are going to take their concerns further – you are the bridge that connects these schools?”

Rodolfo Garcia

“Yes between the schools, the principals, the teachers and the rest of management.”