Auto & Tech | DepEd Mobilizes Swift Disaster Response in Typhoon and Earthquake-Hit Areas
MAKATI CITY – The Department of Education (DepEd) has mobilized urgent relief and recovery measures for schools and communities severely affected by recent calamities, including the 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Bogo, Cebu, and the impact of Typhoon Nando and Typhoon Opong.
Guided by the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the government launched extensive relief operations to support families, teachers, and learners in disaster-hit areas. In Masbate City, the President, together with Education Secretary Sonny Angara and other government officials, distributed aid at Nursery Elementary School.
The assistance included:
- PhP10,000 cash aid each for 600 families under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
- Two (2) checks totaling PhP34.8 million from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region V to the Provincial Government of Masbate for Livelihood Assistance and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD), benefiting 6,455 workers across 11 municipalities.
In Gonzaga, Cagayan, the President personally delivered aid to farmers and families affected by Typhoon Nando, while also visiting the Alfonso Ponce Enrile Hospital to reinforce the implementation of the Zero Balance Billing policy. DepEd also joined the PhilHealth YAKAP Caravan at Santa Ana Fishery National High School, where teachers, parents, and students received medical services, food packs, and learner kits.
DepEd on Restoring Schools and Learning Continuity
Education Secretary Sonny Angara underscored the urgency of disaster preparedness in schools:
“Tungkulin natin na mabilis na tugunan ang pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan, lalo na at sunod-sunod ang pananalasa ng mga kalamidad. Kailangan mapaigting natin ang koordinasyon ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno upang maibalik ang ligtas at normal na klase sa lalong madaling panahon,” Angara said.
DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) reported that the Cebu earthquake damaged around 250 classrooms across Regions 6, 7, 8, and Negros Island Region (NIR), affecting 2,200 learners and 90 personnel.
For Typhoon Opong, preliminary reports recorded 1,101 classrooms with minor damage and 312 totally damaged, disrupting the education of over 13 million learners nationwide.
Learning Recovery and Long-Term Resilience
DepEd Undersecretary for Operations Malcolm Garma assured that schools are ready to roll out learning recovery measures once conditions stabilize:
“Sa parte po ng DepEd, we are making sure na yung lost days for learning ay ma-recapture o ma-recover namin. For structures, we are also appealing to DPWH and the Local Government Units kung paano po natin tutugunan,” Usec. Garma said.
To strengthen long-term resilience, DepEd is rolling out programs such as:
- PlanSmart for Safe Schools Application for disaster planning.
- Comprehensive School Safety Guidebook (Pillar 1).
- M7X Project for multi-hazard preparedness.
- Upgraded Temporary Learning Spaces (UTLS) to ensure uninterrupted education during emergencies.
DepEd reaffirmed its commitment to fast-track school rehabilitation, provide temporary learning spaces, and extend full support for affected learners and teachers through stronger coordination with local and national partners.
With these measures, DepEd continues to safeguard Filipino learners’ right to education, ensuring that schools remain centers of safety, resilience, and recovery amid natural disasters.
