The Department of Education (DepEd) is seeking solutions to recover many class hours lost to recent disasters, acknowledging the impact they are having on children, especially those whose families and school communities suffered hefty toll.
In a recent radio interview, DepEd Undersecretary for Operations Malcolm Garma said affected schools are ready to roll out learning recovery measures as soon as conditions allow. He also called on education stakeholders to work with DepEd in its mission to restore normalcy in learning spaces.
“On the part of DepEd, we are making sure that we recapture or recover our lost days of learning. But for structures, again, we are also appealing to our counterparts in DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) and, of course, the local government units on how we can respond to this,” Garma said.
Classes on Thursday, October 2, remain suspended in calamity-stricken Masbate due to the effects of Typhoon ‘Opong’ as well as in some areas of Cebu in the aftermath of the magnitude-6.9 earthquake that struck Bogo City on Tuesday evening, September 30.
The DepEd Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service reported that around 250 classrooms sustained varying degree of damages from the powerful tremor. Aftershocks are also ongoing in the province, making it unsafe for students and school personnel to hold in-person classes.
Based on its Situation Report as of Wednesday morning, the earthquake damages on public school buildings were recorded in Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas and Negros Island Region (NIR), affecting around 2,200 learners and 90 personnel.
In Cebu City, classes were suspended from kindergarten to high school students in public schools. Suspension orders were left at the discretion of institutions at higher education levels as well as private schools.
The University of Cebu and College of Technological Sciences already declared no onsite classes.
In Talisay City, there will be no in-person classes until Friday, October 3, amid ongoing inspection of schools following the quake.
To strengthen resilience in the long term, DepEd is rolling out programs such as the PlanSmart for Safe Schools Application, the Pillar 1 Guidebook on Comprehensive School Safety, the M7X Project for multi-hazard preparedness, and Upgraded Temporary Learning Spaces (UTLS), designed to ensure uninterrupted education during emergencies.
DepEd assured that recovery plans include the provision of temporary learning spaces, support for affected learners and teachers, and closer coordination with national and local partners to hasten school rehabilitation.
