Gov’t kicks off efforts to restore schools in typhoon-hit Negros Occidental

The Department of Education (DepEd), together with local and national agencies, has begun relief and recovery operations in Negros Occidental following the extensive damage caused by Typhoon Tino last week.

On Tuesday, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, and Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson focused on assessing affected areas and providing immediate support to schools and communities.

The team visited flood-affected communities, inspected damaged schools and bridges, and oversaw the distribution of Starlink units from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and laptops from ConnectED by Her Legacy Project Foundation Inc.

The Starlink and laptop units were received by the La Castellana Elementary School, Moises Padilla Elementary School, Roberto Salas Benedicto Elementary School, and Jose Pepito Montilla Garcia National High School.

Each local government unit (LGU) in Binalbagan, La Carlota, and La Castellana also received a Starlink unit to restore connectivity.

“Ang tanong namin is what can we give right away?” Angara said, referring to the immediate requests from school heads. 

“That’s why we’re providing around 30 units of IT equipment – laptops and Starlink connectivity for immediate deployment to affected schools.”

Angara also led the distribution of Edukahon which contained food packs and learning kits as part of ongoing assistance to families impacted by the typhoon.

Earlier, the officials conducted a courtesy call and situation briefing at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City to coordinate relief and recovery operations with Lacson and other local representatives.

According to the DepEd’s situation report, Typhoon Tino damaged 1,726 classrooms across the Negros Island Region, including 277 totally destroyed and 424 with major damage. The cost of reconstruction is pegged at around P954.7 million.

More than 64,000 learners and 3,500 education personnel in Negros Occidental were affected by the typhoon.

Engineers of the DepEd are conducting structural integrity checks, while minor repairs and cleanup operations have already begun in coordination with LGUs, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The DepEd stressed that its immediate priority is to restore safe learning environments through temporary learning spaces, modular learning programs, and emergency resource mobilization for teachers and students. — JMA, GMA Integrated News