The school opening in over 700 public schools will not proceed as scheduled next week, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Friday, July 26.
Based on the data released by DepEd, a total of 738 public schools have postponed their school openings on July 29 after sustaining damages in the aftermath of the “Carina”-enhanced southwest monsoon.
Region 3 has the highest number of schools postponing the July 29 school opening, with 442 schools affected. These schools are located in the divisions of Bataan, Balanga, Bulacan, Meycauyan City, Malolos City, Pampanga, San Jose City, and Tarlac Province.
In the National Capital Region (NCR), 206 schools will not start their classes next week. These schools are located in the cities of Malabon, Marikina, Navotas, Pasig, Quezon, and Valenzuela.
In the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), 86 schools will not open their classes next week. These schools are located in Abra, Apayao, Baguio, Benguet, Kalinga, and Mt. Province.
Four schools in Region 12, located in Cotabato, have also postponed the school opening next week.
DepEd data also showed that a total of 12,866 schools are affected in 10 regions.
Schools as evacuation centers
In a press briefing, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara reiterated DepEd’s appeal not to use schools as evacuation centers.
“We’re discouraging this,” Angara said, noting that LGUs should use classrooms as a “last resort” when providing temporary shelters to affected families.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/25/classrooms-should-be-a-last-resort-for-evacuation-dep-ed-1
Angara suggested that other spaces, such as covered courts, gymnasiums, and learning centers, should be used as evacuation centers instead of classrooms.
As of July 26, DepEd reported that a total of 425 schools are being used as evacuation centers. A total of 64 schools are currently being used as EC.
Infrastructure damage
Citing the latest available data, Angara said at least 90 schools have sustained damage. However, he noted that there might be more as reports from the field continue to come in.
As of July 25, DepEd reported that 90 schools have sustained damage due to "Carina" and the "habagat."
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Initial figures showed that the total estimated cost for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the damaged school infrastructure is P630 million. However, Angara pointed out that this amount will likely increase once the assessment is completed.
Aside from school buildings and classrooms, Angara said some learning materials intended for the school opening were also damaged in some schools.
As affected schools continue to grapple with clean-ups, Angara appealed to education stakeholders to participate in the ongoing Brigada Eskwela.
“Nakikiusap tayo sa ibang iba’t-komunidad, now is the time na kailangan talaga ng Brigada Eskwela. Bago pa man magbagyo, kailangan na iyan pero mas kailangan nila ngayon iyan (We are appealing to various communities; now is the time when Brigada Eskwela is truly needed. Even before the typhoon, it was necessary, but they need it even more now),” he added.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/14/dep-ed-sets-brigada-eskwela-for-sy-2024-2025-from-july-22-to-27