To ensure students can return to school as soon as possible, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara joined a high-level government team in Negros Occidental to oversee classroom repairs and relief operations in areas devastated by Typhoon Tino.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, November 12, DepEd said Angara joined a multi-agency government mission to Negros Occidental earlier this week to assess the extensive damage caused by Typhoon Tino and provide urgent support to affected schools and communities.

DepEd noted that the initiative is part of the whole-of-government recovery effort led by President Marcos, aimed at accelerating rehabilitation and ensuring the continuity of education in disaster-stricken areas.

Angara was accompanied by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson, and local officials as they visited evacuation centers and flood-affected communities across the province.

The team inspected damaged schools and bridges and oversaw the distribution of Starlink units from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and laptops from ConnectED by Her Legacy Project Foundation Inc. at La Castellana Elementary School, Moises Padilla Elementary School, Roberto Salas Benedicto Elementary School, and Jose Pepito Montilla Garcia National High School.

Each local government unit (LGU) in Binalbagan, La Carlota, and La Castellana also received a Starlink unit to restore connectivity and enable learning continuity for teachers and students.

“Ang tanong namin (Our question is) is: what can we give right away?” Angara said, referring to the immediate requests raised by school heads.

“That’s what the schools requested. They don’t have internet connection. That’s why we’re providing around 30 units of IT equipment—laptops and Starlink connectivity—for immediate deployment to the affected schools,” he added.

Angara also led the distribution of Edukahon boxes containing food packs and learning kits to families displaced by the typhoon, as part of DepEd’s ongoing emergency response.

During a courtesy call and situation briefing at the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol, Angara and Frasco met with Governor Lacson, regional officials, and national agency representatives to coordinate relief and recovery operations.

According to DepEd’s situation report, 1,726 classrooms across the Negros Island Region (NIR) sustained damage from Typhoon Tino—277 were totally destroyed and 424 suffered major damage—bringing estimated reconstruction costs to P954.7 million.

DepEd-NIR officials also confirmed that over 64,000 learners and 3,500 education personnel were directly affected in Negros Occidental alone.

“We are coordinating closely with the President and national agencies to accelerate the rehabilitation of affected schools across all impacted provinces,” Angara said. “Our goal is simple: rebuild quickly, rebuild better, and rebuild safer.”

DepEd engineers are currently conducting structural integrity assessments, while minor repairs and cleanup operations are underway in coordination with local governments, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Angara emphasized that DepEd’s top priority is to restore safe learning environments through temporary learning spaces, modular learning programs, and emergency resource mobilization for both teachers and students.

DepEd said the visit underscores the Marcos administration’s whole-of-government approach to rebuilding schools, restoring hope, and ensuring that education continues despite disaster impacts.