226 schools damaged, over 800 used as evacuation centers after Rolly’s onslaught

MANILA, Philippines — At least 226 schools incurred damage while 869 schools have been used as evacuation centers of residents displaced by Typhoon Rolly, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Tuesday.

According to DepEd’s situation report, 226 schools incurred damage amounting to P489.5 million, most of which are located in Region V.

Other schools that were damaged are located in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Region I, Region II, Region VIII with one each, Region IV-A with 27, and Region IV-B with 13.

DepEd said it has already mobilized the agency’s engineers and disaster risk reduction management coordinators to assess the infrastructure and non-infrastructure damages for response, rehabilitation, and recovery interventions.

“How many schools? As of now, November 3, 869 schools have reported that they are being used as evacuation centers involving 44 divisions and also involving 4,367 classrooms,” DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said in a televised briefing.

Some 21,000 families or 82,584 individuals are taking temporary shelter in these schools.

Typhoon Rolly, said to be the strongest tropical cyclone this year, left at least 16 people dead in the Bicol region.

JE