Welcome to Magayad Elementary School
( Maayad na Pag-uma dini ta MES )
A school at the center inthe forest
Magayad Elementary School is one of the farthest elementary school among the 21 sitios of Barangay Tignapoloan, Cagayan de Oro City. It is situated in the Southwest portion of the city and about 41 kilometers away from the city Division Office at Fr. Masterson Road, Upper Balulang. It will take us two hours to travel from the division / one and a half hour and 12 – 15 kilometers to travel from the mother barangay passing through long rocky and ravine terrain sitios of Lower and Upper Tignapoloan, Litig, Salimbal, Man-ai, Apitong, Balete and Lacolac before reaching Sitio Magayad.
It first operated in 1995 to cater the education of the Higaonon tribe and Lumad learners of Magayad. The school can be reached having the motorcycle (habal-habal) as its only primary means of transportation. High attitude areas are most likely to rain during afternoon, and even have dewdrops that is in the plant leaves in the corner of the road and so as the rocks early in the morning makes the road wet. During rainy season, it is “10 times the risk in going to school” one of the habal-habal driver said. All the teachers experience motorcycle (habal-habal) dropped/accidents because of the road. As experienced, venomous snakes can be found in the road most of the time.
The danger of being bitten and the long distance to travel for an immediate aid is uncertain. Numerous landslides, fallen large rocks from a high cliff and fallen trees even now are very evident along the way to school. Little by little, rainwater washes the top soil and slowly exposes the big rocks in the road that makes even worst for us to travel. Teachers are getting anxious, especially to travel without a convoy for there were reports about rebels (leftist) within the area.
Magayad is considered as the boundary between Cagayan de Oro City and Province of Lanao del Norte and it is classified as ancestral land of the Higaonon tribe under the custody of Datu Magayad Avelino A. Pauran. Most of the people residing in the area were just elementary graduates because they found it difficult to access secondary education.
It has a Day Care Center and complete Elementary Education. The place has electric supply, however water source is only through nearby flowing spring. The area is classified as forest where logging companies operated before illegal logging was ceased.
Their means of living is only farming, since their daily income can’t suffice their daily needs, the parents themselves opted and impelled their children to be with them to earn an income.They speak their language but at present they are already speaking the Sinugbuanong Binisaya.
