1,047 schools damaged by Mindanao quakes – DepEd

MANILA, Philippines — The number of schools damaged by the recent series of earthquakes in Mindanao has breached the  1,000 mark, the Department of Education (DepEd) said.

In a situation report released Tuesday, DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) said 1,047 schools were damaged.

Estimated damage to property was pegged at P3.3 billion.

The Soccsksargen region sustained the heaviest damage (670 schools) followed by the Davao region (274), Northern Mindanao (82) and BARMM (21), the report said.

DepEd said it has already provided 757 temporary learning spaces (TLS) to affected learners of 189 schools in Soccsksargen and Davao regions.

The agency earlier assured it is already working with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to inspect schools damaged by the earthquakes.

DepEd said it needs around P8 billion to repair, rehabilitate or reconstruct schools damaged by calamities since 2017.

READ: Around P8-B needed to repair calamity-hit schools, DepEd says

As of Tuesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) recorded 24 fatalities, 562 injured and three missing persons caused by the powerful series of earthquakes that hit parts of Mindanao last month. /gsg