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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DepEd prioritizes disaster-resilient schools, strengthens crisis response in education

DepEd prioritizes disaster-resilient schools, strengthens crisis response in education

Published Feb 4, 2025 03:10 pm

The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Tuesday, Feb. 4, that it will focus on constructing disaster-resilient school buildings and securing additional resources as part of its commitment to providing resilient education for Filipino learners.

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(Photo from DepEd)

"Tututukan natin ang pagpapatayo ng mga disaster-resilient facilities sa ating schools, lalo na sa mga lubhang naapektuhan ng mga bagyo noong nakaraang taon (We will focus on building disaster-resilient facilities in our schools, especially in areas severely affected by typhoons last year)," DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said in a statement.

"Our facilities must have structural integrity to withstand stronger typhoons and earthquakes," he added.

DepEd emphasized that ensuring schools are disaster-resilient aligns with the Marcos administration’s commitment to strengthening the education sector. To support this initiative, the agency is also seeking additional funding through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).

The initiative follows the recent groundbreaking of the country’s first 12-story public school building in Cebu, designed to withstand severe weather conditions.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2025/2/3/angara-leads-groundbreaking-ceremony

Expanding classroom infrastructure

Angara also highlighted that DepEd’s agreement with the PPP Center late last year aims to accelerate efforts in addressing classroom shortages.

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DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara (DepEd photo)

DepEd confirmed that the construction of 15,000 classrooms will begin this year, benefiting 1,600 schools across nine regions.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2024/12/20/dep-ed-to-roll-out-new-wave-of-ppp

Urgent need for increased QRF

Angara underscored the pressing need to increase the Quick Response Fund (QRF) to ensure the immediate repair and reconstruction of damaged schools.

"Our current Quick Response Fund is simply not enough to address the scale of destruction we face each year," Angara said, citing EDCOM II’s Year 2 report, which highlights DepEd’s insufficient QRF and its impact on disaster response efforts.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2025/1/29/dep-ed-reaffirms-commitment

"If we want to rebuild quickly and effectively, we need more resources," he added.

DepEd reported that in 2024 alone, 1,855 schools were affected by various calamities, requiring P6.6 billion for classroom repairs and P6.3 billion to replace 1,846 classrooms.

While DepEd’s QRF has been increased to P3 billion annually, the agency stated that this amount remains insufficient to meet these demands.

Strengthening disaster preparedness, learning continuity

DepEd welcomed the signing of Republic Act No. 12076, or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, which mandates the establishment of permanent evacuation centers to prevent schools from being used as temporary shelters.

To ensure learning continuity during disasters, DepEd said it will reinforce the implementation of DepEd Order No. 22, series of 2024, or the Revised Guidelines on Class and Work Suspension in Schools During Disasters and Emergencies.

The agency also emphasized that schools should develop a Learning and Service Continuity Plan, which includes implementing Alternative Delivery Modalities (ADMs) tailored to specific conditions in case of face-to-face class suspensions.

RELATED STORY:

https://mb.com.ph/2025/2/3/philippine-education-system-needs-urgent-fixing

Related Tags

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara DEPED DISASTER-RESILIENT Public Schools Classroom shortage
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