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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DepEd–UP partnership strengthens disaster preparedness in Philippine schools

DepEd–UP partnership strengthens disaster preparedness in Philippine schools

Published Jan 19, 2026 06:07 pm
The Department of Education (DepEd) and the University of the Philippines (UP) have teamed up to strengthen disaster preparedness and resilience in Philippine public schools. (DepEd photo)
The Department of Education (DepEd) and the University of the Philippines (UP) have teamed up to strengthen disaster preparedness and resilience in Philippine public schools. (DepEd photo)
Public school learners, teachers, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) coordinators across the Philippines are set to benefit from enhanced disaster preparedness and resilience programs through a new partnership between the Department of Education (DepEd) and the University of the Philippines (UP).
In a statement issued Monday, January 19, DepEd said the agreement was formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) recently signed in Diliman, Quezon City.
Through this DepEd-UP partnership, teachers and learners nationwide will benefit from online resilience courses and enhanced emergency protocols. (DepEd photo)
Through this DepEd-UP partnership, teachers and learners nationwide will benefit from online resilience courses and enhanced emergency protocols. (DepEd photo)
The partnership, DepEd said, aims to address persistent challenges faced by schools in disaster-prone areas, including insufficient hazard data, limited structured training, and fragmented emergency protocols.
“These gaps often leave schools vulnerable during floods, earthquakes, and other natural calamities,” DepEd added.
Under the collaboration, UP will provide scientific and technical expertise to support DepEd’s disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and emergency response efforts nationwide.
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized that the partnership seeks to minimize learning disruptions caused by disasters.
“Hindi dapat napuputol ang pagkatuto dahil lang sa kakulangan ng paghahanda (Learning should not be interrupted just because of a lack of preparation),” Angara said.
“Sa tulong ng UP, through its research and public service mandate, masisiguro nating handa ang ating mga guro at mag-aaral (With the help of UP, through its research and public service mandate, we can ensure that our teachers and students are ready),” he explained.
“May tamang kaalaman, datos, at sistema para manatiling ligtas at makabangon agad kapag may sakuna (There is proper knowledge, data, and systems in place to remain safe and recover quickly when disasters strike),” he added.
As an immediate initiative, DepEd is encouraging DRRM coordinators to enroll in the relaunched Fundamentals of Resilience Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offered by the UP Resilience Institute (UPRI) in partnership with UP Open University.
The free, fully online courses will run from January 26 to February 20, 2026, covering essential topics such as resilience basics, hazard identification, and risk assessment.
UP President Angelo Jimenez highlighted the university’s role in protecting learners and teachers amid increasing climate-related risks.
The partnership will be implemented through UPRI, led by Executive Director Mahar Lagmay, which will assist DepEd in conducting multi-hazard risk assessments, developing localized hazard maps, integrating disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation modules into learning platforms, and designing a digital hazard risk monitoring system.
For public schools, the collaboration promises clearer access to training, scientific data, and practical tools that enhance disaster preparedness, ensure teacher readiness, and allow learners to return safely to classrooms after emergencies.

Related Tags

DepEd UP DepEd UP partnership Disaster preparedness Philippine schools School resilience programs learning continuity
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