By el Amigo
MANILA, Philippines — The education sector is facing a major cleanup and rehabilitation effort after nearly 4,000 classrooms were damaged by the combined impact of former Tropical Cyclone Maymay and the southwest monsoon or habagat.
The Department of Education (DepEd) reported Monday that 722 public schools sustained damage following the weather disturbances, with the latest assessment putting the number of affected classrooms at 3,924.
DepEd’s breakdown showed that 751 classrooms were totally damaged, while 818 suffered severe damage. Another 2,355 classrooms sustained minor damage.
The storms also displaced families, prompting 52 schools to be converted into evacuation centers. A total of 239 classrooms in these schools are currently sheltering 1,057 families.
The disruption has been extensive, affecting 6,517,252 learners and 288,967 school personnel in 10,029 public schools located in 61 schools divisions across eight regions.
Among the affected areas, Central Luzon reported the highest number of schools with suspended in-person classes, reaching 3,546 schools.
The damage was not limited to school buildings. DepEd also recorded losses involving 5,368 chairs, 380 ICT equipment units and 6,227 learning materials, posing additional challenges to the restoration of normal school operations.
DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service has already begun mobilizing financial assistance for recovery work. The department allocated P20.418 million for cleanup and clearing operations covering the 722 affected schools.
An additional P115.395 million was allocated for minor repairs to the 2,355 classrooms that sustained less extensive damage.
DepEd said recovery efforts would focus on restoring damaged facilities while protecting the welfare of students and personnel and minimizing interruptions to learning.
The department reiterated its commitment to keeping schools safe and supporting the continuity of education as affected communities recover from the weather-related damage.
elamigo/xf
