Officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday visited schools that were affected by super typhoon “Rolly” to personally assess the extent of the damage the recent calamity brought to its facilities.
Under the instruction of Education Secretary Leonor Briones, Undersecretary for Administration Alain Pascua and Undersecretary for Field Operations Usec Revsee Escobedo visited affected schools in Bicol in the aftermath of super typhoon Rolly.
The DepEd officials first visited Colacling National High School in Lupi, Camarines Sur where they saw damaged ceilings - among others. In their regular monitoring after typhoons, Pascua says damaged ceilings are a common problem in the aftermath of the disaster aside from flooding.
To address this concern, Pascua said that in the 2020 New DepEd-DPWH School Building Designs - which highlights Calamity-Resilient School Buildings - sturdier ceiling will be among the priorities to help ensure that the school facilities will be able to withstand future typhoons.
Pascua and Escobedo also visited the DepEd Division Office in Naga City to personally check the situation of the agency’s personnel who were also affected by “Rolly.” In a simple ceremony, the DepEd officials turned over two drone cameras, 16 laptops and headset, with a 4x4 pick up which can be used as “service” when they need to respond to the needs of the schools, teachers and students.
Mileta Canton, Supply Officer of the Division of Naga, told Pascua that equipment from DepEd would greatly help in getting data to assess the extent of damage brought by the typhoon to the facilities of DepEd.
Likewise, SDO Naga City Engr. Junmar Rey Aguilar also noted that the Information Technology (IT) equipment and vehicle provided by DepEd would be beneficial for the Task Force created by the province of Catanduanes to respond to those severely affected by “Rolly."
“The Task Force Catanduanes will use these because it is the most heavily-hit province here in Bicol,” Aguilar said in Filipino. “We will go there as a Task Force using these equipment,” he added.
Aguilar noted that the IT equipment is very crucial when it comes to the stability for assessment monitoring and inspection of schools - especially for those that are hard to access or located in far flung areas.
Aside from DepEd engineers, Aguilar said that these equipment and vehicle can be used by any personnel who needs it. “We’re happy that our needs are taken cared of by the administration,” he added.
Aside from the IT equipment, the SDO Naga City also received learning kits from DepEd.