In an effort to strengthen interventions for disaster response, the Department of Education (DepEd) has met  several key partners and representatives from the regions affected by recent typhoons that hit the country.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones met key external partners early this week to discuss updates and planned interventions of the DepEd on disaster response efforts.

 Briones  thanked the external partners who attended the meeting. “The support you have been giving to the Department, in these times when there’s typhoon, for learning continuity is very important to us,” she said.

During the meeting organized by the External Partnerships Service (EPS), regional directors of DepEd Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), 4-A (Calabarzon), IV-B (Mimaropa), 5 (Bicol), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and National Capital Region (NCR) reported infrastructure and non-infrastructure damage from the recent typhoons, consisting of damage in school buildings, ruined self-learning modules (SLMs), and SLM-producing machines. They also reported the numbers of teaching and non-teaching personnel and learners who were directly affected by the typhoons.

 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) Director Ronilda Co presented actions and interventions taken by the Central Office (CO) such as the activation of the CO DRRM team and Rapid Assessment of Damages Report (RADaR) for infrastructure and non-infrastructure.

In close coordination with affected regions, these response interventions helped schools with class suspensions and schools used as evacuation centers due to typhoons “Rolly” and “Ulysses.”

During the meeting, field offices were reminded to closely coordinate with local inter-agency for actions to be taken in their areas.