DIFFICULT PART | Heavy rains spawned by a low pressure area and shear line in Eastern Visayas last week damaged schools in the region, like this in the Northern Samar capital of Catarman. In this photo taken on Nov. 22, 2023, teachers, students, and other community members show up for a cleanup activity as soon as the weather cleared. (Photo from the Department of Education in Northern Samar)
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Philippines — The massive flooding that hit the Eastern Visayas region following incessant rains spawned by the low pressure area and shear line last week damaged 647 classrooms in the three Samar provinces, leaving more than 137,000 students displaced.
Northern Samar recorded the highest damage with 544 classrooms hit by floods and 43 others destroyed by landslides, according to a Department of Education (DepEd) report released on Tuesday.
In Eastern Samar, at least 44 classrooms were damaged while 16 others were destroyed.
The DepEd said the floods also drenched 42,798 school equipment and books in Samar, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar provinces.
Northern Samar reported 42,329 pieces of damaged equipment which include armchairs, computers, and textbooks. The province of Samar has 417 damaged school equipment while 52 school equipment were ruined in Eastern Samar.
About 127,223 students were affected by the floods in Northern Samar while 10,273 others were displaced in Eastern Samar.
READ: 5 reported dead due to Northern Samar flooding
READ: Severe flooding hits Samar, Panay islands
Classes resume
Jasmin Calzita, DepEd regional information officer, said classes in the three provinces had already resumed.
“But those still underwater were advised to implement blended learning,” she said.
At least 56 schools across Samar Island were also used as evacuation centers for the displaced families: 38 in Northern Samar, 17 in Samar, and one in Eastern Samar.
The Eastern Samar schools division, headed by Gorgonio Diaz Jr., received P94,000 cash, used clothing, and food packs from their counterparts in Southern Leyte.
The donations would be distributed to students and school personnel who were affected by the floods.
President Marcos, during his visit to the region last week, instructed government agencies to immediately attend to the needs of victims of the massive flooding in Eastern Visayas.
Data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) showed that at least 74,500 families consisting of more than 370,000 people sought shelter in different evacuation centers in Northern Samar while another 16,456 families with 61,111 members were displaced by the recent floods in Eastern Samar.
At least four people — all from Northern Samar — died in the floods in Eastern Visayas.
The DSWD has released P88.47 million worth of assistance to affected families.