DepEd: At least 261 schools sustained damage due to Paeng

At least 261 schools nationwide have so far recorded infrastructure damage due to Severe Tropical Storm Paeng, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Tuesday.

As of 6 p.m. Monday, October 31, DepEd reported that 381 classrooms were also "totally damaged."

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said the agency's assessment on the ground is continuous and this is still a moving number.

A total of 528 schools, meanwhile, were still being used as evacuation centers by Paeng-affected individuals and families.

Poa said DepEd recognized that several schools were affected by the storm, thus exceptions to conduct blended learning will be granted to them, despite all public schools being mandated to start the five-day face-to-face classes starting this month.

“Para diyan sa mga affected schools natin, tayo ay magkakaron muna ng tinatawag natin na alternative delivery mode kung saan pasasagutan muna natin ng mga modules sa bahay ang ating mga bata. In a way, blended learning po siya kasi once na maayos ang kanilang paaralan, ay babalik na po sa mandatory in-person,” he explained.

(For the affected schools, we will implement an alternative delivery mode where we will have the students complete their modules at home. In a way, it's blended learning. Once their schools are fixed, they will go back to the mandatory in-person classes.)

DepEd Order (DO) No. 44, series of 2022, signed by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, allowed private schools to continue holding either five-day face-to-face classes, a blended learning modality, or full distance learning starting November 2.

Public schools, meanwhile, must proceed with the full implementation of in-person classes, except for those that are expressly provided an exemption by the Regional Director, those whose classes are automatically canceled due to disasters and calamities, and those implementing Alternative Delivery Modes.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Tuesday morning, 110 people were reportedly killed, 101 injured, and 33 missing due to Paeng. — RSJ, GMA News