Public school damage due to typhoons reaches P139M

MANILA, Philippines—Hundreds of public schools were damaged during typhoons Pedring and Quiel and officials said the losses arising from school damage have reached P139 million.

Figures from the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Disaster Risk Management Office that were available as of Monday night, showed that a total of 300 schools—237 elementary schools and 63 high schools—sustained minor and major damage.

The amount has exceeded DepEd’s remaining P120 million in its Quick Response Fund (QRF), the department’s contingency fund used for immediate repairs in schools damaged or destroyed by natural calamities, fire and other disasters.

“The reported damage will be validated by our field engineer. It can be more or less than the reported figure,” said DepEd chief engineer Oliver Hernandez.

“Just in case it’s more than [the QRF], we get funds from our regular school building funds or from the school MOOE (Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses) if its minor repair work,” said the engineer.

Schools in Region 3 are in most need of repair funds with P58.29 in total damage on 128 schools in Gapan in Olongapo City, Malolos and San Jose del Monte in Bulacan, the provinces of Zambales, Pampanga, Angeles City and Bataan.

Data have not included damage assessment in Calumpit and Hagonoy in Bulacan, where massive flooding reached record levels in four decades, leaving residents marooned on rooftops and trees.

Some 69 schools in the Bicol region sustained damage of P25.475 million while 28 schools in the Cordillera Administrative Region suffered a total P21.15 million in damage.

Ilocos region, meanwhile, needs some P20.48 million in repairs for 31 damaged schools.

In Metro Manila, schools in the cities of Parañaque, Marikina, Malabon and San Juan sustained total damage of P8.1 million. Flood-prone Malabon accounted for the bulk of the damage toll, with P6.84 million worth of school facilities sustaining both minor and major damage.

Some 112 schools, meanwhile, continue to host close to 5,000 evacuated families in typhoon-ravaged areas.

Amid heavy flooding, classes remained suspended in some parts of Valenzuela, Malolos City and Hagonoy and Calumpit towns in Bulacan, as of Tuesday, DepEd said.

Classes have also yet to resume in the towns of Macabebe, Masantol, San Simon, Sasomoan, San Luis, Sta. Ana, Mexico and Apalit in Pampanga; Nueva Ecija towns Jaen, San Antonio, Sto. Domingo, Cabanatuan and Cabiao; and the towns of Camiling, La Paz and San Roque in Tarlac.