MANILA, Philippines?The Quezon City government will prioritize the rehabilitation of schools damaged by tropical storm Ondoy so as not to further inconvenience students and teachers.

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has directed the engineering department to put at the top of its list the repair of damaged schools, as well as school buildings used as evacuation centers.

Belmonte said the engineering department headed by Joselito Cabungcal Jr. will identify the damaged school buildings scheduled for repair.

?We also consider as urgent the repair and rehabilitation of school comfort rooms to prevent any disease outbreak,? Belmonte said in a statement.

Cabungcal estimated damage to public infrastructure in Quezon City to be at P371.8 million.

He added that P179.3 million was needed for the asphalt overlay of 115 streets damaged by floods, mostly in District II.

?There are also 28 flood-related projects that need to be rehabilitated. At least P124.1 million is needed to improve damaged waterways and drainage systems in Quezon City,? the city engineer said.

For the repair and improvement of public buildings, the city government will be spending about P68.3 million, which will come from a P500-million rehabilitation fund, he added.

The rehabilitation project will also include the repair of rip-raps and retaining walls which served as embankment along canals, creeks and other waterways damaged during the storm.

Cabungcal said District II, particularly the villages of Bagong Silangan, Payatas, Batasan Hills, Commonwealth and Holy Spirit has the biggest number of collapsed rip-raps and retaining walls.

Meanwhile, Belmonte has also ordered the study of possible relocation sites for residents whose houses were destroyed by the floods, as well as residents living near rivers.

?Emergency measures should be adopted to move people farther from these critical areas to prevent loss of lives and properties during flooding incidents. We have to do something to get these people relocated to safer grounds,? he said.

The city government intends to relocate a maximum of 2,000 families occupying areas which are considered highly dangerous, such as in Barangay Bagong Silangan.

Belmonte said the National Housing Authority has provided relocation for only 400 Quezon City residents at Towerville in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.