Elementary and secondary schools in coastal areas are gearing to become more disaster-resilient after a House panel on Tuesday, Sept. 13, unanimously passed a resolution for the master design and architectural plan for schools in areas regularly hit by calamities.
The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture held its fifth regular committee meeting for House Resolution No. 289, or the Disaster Resilient Master Design and Architectural Plan for Basic Education Schools in Coastal Areas, filed by Dinagat Islands Rep. Alan Ecleo.
Both the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) expressed support to the resolution during the hearing, with DepEd Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III saying that it is in line with the plans of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“On behalf of DepEd, we have no objection to the resolution. In fact, that’s aligned with the pronouncement of President Bongbong Marcos that all our schools, especially in the areas where it is reguarly hit by calamities, should be resilient or disaster-resilient,” he told lawmakers.
“So, nagtutugma po ‘yan (it is in line), Your Honor, sa pananaw namin sa (in our goals in the) DepEd and the President,” Densing added.
DPWH-Bureau of Design Director Edwin Matanguihan took the opportunity to read the agency’s position paper on the resolution, which also represents Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan’s letter in response to committee chairperson Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo’s letter regarding HR 289.
“In this regards, the DPWH would like to express our full support to the said resolution to establish and implement the memorandum of agreement with the DepEd for the establishment of a disaster-resilient master design and structural plan for all primary and secondary schools in coastal areas in the Philippines to avoid expenditures and further damage and loss of life,” he said.
He added that disaster-resilience school buildings will also “ensure schools in most calamity-prone areas particularly in coastal areas are disaster resilient to storm, surges, and tsunamis.”
The adoption of the House resolution came after Ecleo called on his fellow lawmakers, as well as the DepEd and DPWH, to formulate a Disaster Resilient Master Design for Schools.
"I have seen the impact of school buildings and the lack thereof firsthand, as we continue to rebuild Dinagat Islands from Typhoon Odette," the solon said.
"While I salute and honor the endurance and perseverance of my people, we cannot simply applaud their resilience. We must help build and strengthen it. And we can only do this by learning from our past and applying them to our present,” he added.
Noting the mounting costs of having to rebuild repair schools over and over everytime disasters strike, the lawmaker lamented that such disasters stall the use of schools for education purposes and their use as evacuation centers and polling stations.
His home province was struck by Typhoon Odette, where 85 percent of classrooms were “totally damaged.”
"As a consequence, 354 classrooms need to be replaced, in addition to the 107 classrooms which need to undergo repairs," Ecleo stressed, noting that its rehabilitation would cost at least P1.7 billion based on DepEd’s assessment.
He said the passage of the resolution is not only going to be for the benefit of Dinagat Islands and its students, but also for all climate vulnerable and disaster-prone communities in coastal areas.
"We cannot simply rebuild our schools and then wait for the next calamity to knock it down. We need to ensure that what we build in place of what was lost will last longer and stand stronger than what came before,” Ecleo added.