DepEd: At least P940 million needed to repair, rebuild 9K schools hit by quake

The number of schools affected by the strong earthquake that struck parts of Luzon on Wednesday has reached 9,000, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Thursday.

Citing the latest Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) information, the DepEd said from the initial report of 8,027, the affected schools are now at 9,539 from 58 divisions.

“Accordingly, from P228.5-million in the estimated cost of repair and reconstruction in the initial announcement, the figures have ballooned to P940M, covering the repair and reconstruction of totally and partially damaged classrooms,” the department said.

A total of 3,536 schools in 16 divisions of Ilocos Region and Cordillera Administrative Region have suspended work starting July 27. No date for the work resumption has been released yet.

According to the DRRMS, four schools have already opened to serve as temporary shelters for earthquake victims.

It also convened the Central Office Quick Response and Recovery Team to “ensure timely, adequate, and effective response and recovery interventions in the aftermath of a disaster” pursuant to DepEd Order No. 44, s. 2018, which mandates the agency’s role and functions in times of hazards and calamities.

Likewise, the DRRMS also called for a meeting with the National Education Cluster Partners to provide updates on the affected schools.

DepEd said among the response actions done by the ECP are the conduct of the rapid assessment of damages and the determination of areas needing psychological first aid.

The Education Department said the DRRMS is continuously coordinating with its field coordinators to get the latest updates on the number of affected learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel.—LDF, GMA News