DepEd, UP team up to boost disaster readiness in public schools

Public school teachers, students, and disaster coordinators will soon get science-based training and local hazard information following the forging of a new partnership between the Department of Education (DepEd) and the University of the Philippines (UP).

The goal of the partnership is to help schools in disaster-prone areas become better prepared for floods, earthquakes, and other emergencies.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed recently in UP Diliman aims to fix long-standing problems in school disaster preparedness.

These include the lack of local hazard data, limited training for teachers and staff, and weak coordination during emergencies—issues that often put schools at risk.

Under the agreement, UP will provide technical and scientific support to help DepEd improve disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and emergency response in public schools across the country.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the partnership is meant to make sure schools are ready before disasters hit, so learning will not be interrupted and students stay safe.

“Learning should not stop just because we are not prepared. With UP’s help, we can make sure our teachers and learners have the right knowledge, data, and systems to stay safe and recover quickly after disasters,” Angara said.

Immediate rollout

DepEd is encouraging DRRM coordinators nationwide to enroll in the Fundamentals of Resilience Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

These courses, offered by the UP Resilience Institute and UP Open University, will run from Jan. 26 to Feb. 20, 2026.

UP President Angelo Jimenez said the partnership shows the university’s role in protecting students and teachers as climate-related disasters become more common.

Science-based tools

The UP Resilience Institute, under Executive Director Mahar Lagmay, will lead the implementation of the partnership. It will help DepEd create hazard maps, conduct risk assessments, and develop disaster and climate-related learning modules.

The institute will also work on digital systems to monitor risks and emergencies in schools.

DepEd said the partnership gives schools immediate access to training, data, and tools that can help teachers respond better during emergencies and quickly bring students back to safe classrooms after disasters.—MCG, GMA Integrated News