DepEd: Over 20K schools suspend classes amid Tino; 76 schools damaged across six regions

More than 20,600 schools across the country have suspended classes as Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) lashed parts of the Visayas and Mindanao and brought heavy rains to Palawan, according to the Department of Education’s (DepEd).

DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) reported that 20,681 schools in nine regions implemented class suspensions, affecting tens of thousands of learners.

The highest number of affected schools were in Region VIII (Eastern Visayas), followed by Region VI (Western Visayas) and Region VII (Central Visayas) — areas that bore the brunt of the storm’s strong winds and torrential rains.

Schools as evacuation centers

A total of 2,507 classrooms from 522 schools are currently being used as evacuation centers, mostly located in Regions VII, VI, and the Negros Island Region (NIR). These temporary shelters are housing hundreds of displaced families following widespread flooding and landslides triggered by the typhoon.

DepEd said School Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (SDRRM) teams are coordinating with local government units to assist evacuees and ensure the safety of both learners and education personnel.

76 schools damaged, P11.6 million needed for repairs

The same report showed that 76 schools across six regions sustained structural damage due to Tino. Region VIII (Eastern Visayas) reported the highest number of affected schools at 50, followed by Region VI and the NIR.

Initial rapid damage assessments identified 64 classrooms as totally damaged, 91 as majorly damaged, and 237 as minorly damaged.

DepEd said it needs at least ?11.6 million to fund immediate minor repairs — or about ?49,000 per school — and an additional ?2.11 million for clean-up and clearing operations. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News