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Close to 22 million students all over the Philippines are going back to school. In Mindanao, students and teachers have to contend with the usual opening day woes – lack of classrooms and books. In Davao, public school authorities are catching up in the construction of toilet facilities. The lack of money has always been a messy issue for Philippine education. Poorly paid teachers often go at length to save money to the extent of hitching a daily ride to and from Marilog District in Davao City, some 60 kilometers away from downtown where most teachers live. Parents and even soldiers pitched in to help, cleaning and repairing schools before it opens.