DepEd: P235.5M needed to repair schools damaged by monsoon, cyclones
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) said on Thursday it needs P235.586 million for response and recovery interventions in the aftermath of the damage caused by the combined effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon and two tropical cyclones.
Of the total amount, P34.355 million will be used for cleanup and clearing operations in 1,195 schools that reported damage, while P201.586 million will be needed for minor repairs to 4,114 classrooms.
Based on DepEd’s situation report as of Thursday morning, a total of 6,861 classrooms in the 1,195 affected schools were damaged, broken down into 4,114 classrooms with minor damage, 1,393 with major damage, and 1,354 that were completely damaged.
Heavy rains also damaged 16,220 learning materials, 538 information and communications technology equipment and 11,173 chairs, according to DepEd’s Incident Management Reporting System.
The habagat likewise disrupted operations in schools, with 5,638 schools affected in six regions, involving more than four million learners and 168,493 DepEd personnel.
DepEd said 766 classrooms in 217 schools were being used as evacuation centers for 6,476 families.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara, meanwhile, urged Malacañang to expand emergency labor assistance under the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers program to speed up the cleanup and recovery of affected public schools.
READ: A week of storms: Monsoon, Luis, Maymay leave trail of destruction
READ: Several areas in Luzon under a state of calamity
More help sought
“While clearing efforts have been instrumental, the scale of the damage underscores the need for additional inter-agency assistance and resource augmentation to expedite debris removal, cleanup and the restoration of safe and functional learning spaces,” Angara said in a statement on Thursday.
He proposed making Brigada Eskwela, or the National Schools Maintenance Week program, a year-round recovery mechanism under DepEd’s Brigada Eskwela 2.0 initiative, saying schools should continue receiving support even after classes resume as disasters can occur at any time.
He also recommended coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Cash-for-Work program to prioritize parents and guardians of affected learners.
This would provide immediate financial assistance to vulnerable families while engaging communities in school recovery efforts, according to him.
DepEd is likewise coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways to deploy heavy equipment for the removal of large amounts of debris in severely affected areas.
