Argao, Cebu – Hundreds of pupils were evacuated from classrooms as archeologists and heritage officials trooped to the Argao Central Elementary School Tuesday to check on alleged treasure diggings in the school to determine if indeed, there was any basis for talks of buried treasure beneath the school grounds.

The Cebu Provincial Government sent Capitol Consultant Jojo Bersales, Consultant on Heritage, Sites and Relics along with archeologists to the area to check on the septic tank underneath
a school building to see if indeed there are treasures buried below.

Bersales was aided by a representative from the National Museum after the Cebu City Council sought out expert assistance in order to check the septic tank under the old school building occupied by elementary students.

At least 400 students have already been evacuated after parents and teachers expressed fears that the building might collapse may cause injury to the students.

“We are here to provide expert assistance and to officially check the septic tank to determine whether or not there are indeed buried treasures underneath,” said Bersales, in a press conference Tuesday.

Experts were set to pump out water and waste from the septic tank Tuesday afternoon to check the contents of the storage area to.

Meanwhile, school principal Willie Adonay Jr. wondered about where and how talks regarding hidden treasure in the school grounds began. He said it was just a coincidence that he ordered for the opening and cleaning of the septic tank a few days before talks of buried treasure began circulating around the town.

The only thing he knew, he said, was that “there was a request to clean up (the septic tank) based on the Brigada Eskwela program of the Department of Education.”

At least 400 elementary pupils from nine classes were evacuated from the school building they were occupying after parents feared the building would collapse because of the ongoing “digging for treasure” in the school grounds.

Adonay might deny all he can that the digging underneath the school building was meant to search for treasure but there are sources which insist that such diggings were actually started after talks began circulating around Argao town about the area having been used as an armory during the Japanese occupation.

The area being dug up is said to contain gold bars and antiques left behind by Japanese soldiers retreating when the Americans came. Sources said Adunay allegedly invited friends to “clean up” the underground of the building, which houses the septic tanks, several days ago.

The Department of Education (DepEd), meanwhile, has already ordered a stop to the ongoing digging to avoid incidents that would harm the elementary students.

Cebu Schools Division Superintendent Arden Monisit said she has also requested the Cebu Provincial Police Office to monitor the area to ensure that the order to stop digging is enforced.

Monisit also ordered a thorough investigation to determine who ordered the digging and whatever liabilities there might be by school administrators, as she said she was only informed of the alleged treasure hunting by reporters.