The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday said that at least 312 public schools sustained infrastructure damage following the onslaught of Super Typhoon Uwan.
“Our teachers, parents, and learners have gone through a difficult time during the Typhoons Uwan and Tino,” DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in Filipino in a press release.
“We extend our sympathies to our fellow citizens, and we assure you that DepEd stands with you at every step of recovery—helping rebuild hope in every classroom,” he added.
The regions with the highest number of damaged classrooms are Bicol, Calabarzon, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
Initial figures from the DepEd Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Services (DRRMS) reported that 1,182 classrooms suffered minor damage, 366 classrooms were severely damaged, and 261 classrooms were destroyed.
Meanwhile, 5,572 classrooms in 1,072 schools across 11 regions are being used as evacuation centers for affected families.
To sustain learning continuity, Alternative Delivery Modes (ADM) are also being implemented in schools that remain closed due to the recent typhoons and calamities.
The DepEd revealed that a P20.2 million funding requirement for cleanup and clearing operations, and a P57.9 million requirement for minor repairs are needed to cover the education sector’s recovery needs.
Typhoon Fung-wong, locally named Uwan, is the Philippines’ 21st tropical cyclone of the year. It made its landfall on Nov. 9, Sunday evening, at Dinalungan, Aurora, and was downgraded to a typhoon early Monday, Nov. 10.
In a report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Tuesday, 13 people were reported injured, while the death toll has increased to six. Of which, three fatalities are from the Cagayan Valley, and one each in Bicol, Western Visayas, and Eastern Visayas.
NDRRMC added that 2,358,476 people or 652,632 families are affected in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, CAR, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Bicol has the most affected individuals at 1,163,473, followed by Negros Island Region with 198,120 and Eastern Visayas with 186,532. — Almira Louise S. Martinez
