4 of every 10 NCR public schools in flood-prone areas

Close to 300 of the more than 700 (roughly 4 of every 10) public elementary and high schools in Metro Manila are at high risk of flooding, a GMA News Research study showed. Using government sources, the study indicated that 279 (38 percent) of 731 public schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) are located in flood-prone areas. Moreover, the study showed seven of NCR's Top 10 public high schools – in terms of student population – are located in barangays highly susceptible to flooding. Leading the list is the Parañaque National High School with 11,719 students in the School Year 2010-2011. (see table ) Meanwhile, three of the Top 10 public elementary schools also are in flood-prone barangays. Topping the list is the Nagpayong Elementary School in Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City, with 8,225 students in the last school year. Analyzing Data from the school directory of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Mines of Geosciences Bureau (MGB), GMA News Research found out that one of every five Metro Manila barangays has "high susceptibility to flooding." On the other hand, the Top 100 schools located in flood-prone barangays had a combined student population of around 340,000 or some 18 percent of the entire population of public elementary and high schools in the NCR in SY 2010-2011. The percentage may be small but the figure represents 33 of the Top 100 public elementary schools in terms of student population. A total of 161,000 students were enrolled in these schools in the last school year. On the other hand, 37 of the Top 100 public high schools are located in flood-prone barangays. Over 178,000 students were enrolled in these schools in the School Year 2010-2011. In its 2004 Geohazard Map on flood-prone areas (released recently), the MGB identified 327 barangays in Metro Manila as having "high susceptibility to flooding." All the barangays in Marikina City and the municipality of Pateros have been tagged as flood-prone areas. This means all public elementary and high schools in these localities are at high risk of flooding – 27 schools in Marikina and nine in Pateros. All but one of the public elementary and high schools in Pasig City and Muntinlupa City are located in flood-prone barangays. Of the 21 public schools in Navotas City, 19 are in flood-prone barangays. In Malabon and Parañaque Cities, only five of the 35 public schools there are outside flood-prone barangays. When tropical storm Ondoy (Ketsana) in September 2009 triggered the worst flood in recent history, a total of 343 public schools and 1,198 classrooms in Metro Manila were damaged, of which of 247 were elementary schools and 96 were high schools. Forty-five of these schools are in the Malabon-Navotas area; 37 are in Manila; 31 in Pasig City and 28 each in Marikina City and Parañaque City. — with Brenda C. Barrientos/LBG, GMA News