BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

As part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to providing resilient education for Filipino learners, Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized that the Department of Education (DepEd) will construct disaster-resilient school buildings and seek additional resources through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). 

“Tututukan natin ang pagpapatayo ng mga disaster-resilient facilities sa ating schools, lalo na sa mga lubhang naapektuhan ng mga bagyo noong nakaraang taon. Our facilities must have structural integrity to withstand stronger typhoons and earthquakes,” Secretary Angara said. 

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

Angara also noted that DepEd’s agreement with the PPP Center late last year will fast-track efforts to address classroom shortages. The construction of 15,000 classrooms will begin this year, benefiting 1,600 schools across nine regions. 

He likewise stressed the urgent 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. If we want to rebuild quickly and effectively, we need more resources,” Angara said, citing EDCOM II’s Year 2 report on the agency’s lack of QRF, which hampers its ability to respond effectively to disasters. 

In 2024 alone, 1,855 schools were affected by various calamities, requiring ₱6.6 billion for classroom repairs and ₱6.3 billion to replace 1,846 classrooms. However, DepEd’s QRF, which has been increased to ₱3 billion annually, remains insufficient to meet these demands. 

The Department also 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. 

Moreover, DepEd will reinforce the implementation of DepEd Order No. 22, s. 2024, or the Revised Guidelines on Class and Work Suspension in Schools During Disasters and Emergencies, to ensure learning continuity. 

DepEd emphasized that schools should develop a Learning and Service Continuity Plan, which outlines the implementation of Alternative Delivery Modalities (ADMs) suited to their specific conditions in case of face-to-face class suspensions.

*All Photos from DepEd