A total of 223 classrooms were completely destroyed, while 415 others sustained partial damage following Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, according to the Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday.
In a media interview, Education Secretary Sonny Angara shared that in addition to classroom damage, school furniture and computer equipment were also affected.
Impact on Students
The storm disrupted classes for nearly 19 million students, affecting around 37,000 schools over the past two days, Angara revealed at an AI conference held at the University of the Philippines (UP) BGC campus.
Infrastructure Losses
Initial assessments by DepEd estimate the damage to educational infrastructure at P765 million, with P557.5 million required for reconstruction and P207.5 million for significant repairs. Angara emphasized that the agency’s quick response and rehabilitation funds will be allocated for the necessary repairs.
Concerns Over Learning Loss
The Education Secretary voiced concern about the potential long-term impact of class suspensions due to frequent natural disasters. He mentioned efforts to track missed school days and the number of make-up classes held to minimize learning disruption.
Angara warned that if missed classes continue to accumulate, it could reach a point where recovery becomes difficult, stressing the importance of alternative learning methods during these interruptions.
Schools as Evacuation Centers
Currently, 309 schools are being used as evacuation centers, while 143 reported secondary hazards like flooding and landslides. Despite existing policies limiting school use as evacuation sites to 15 days, Angara acknowledged the difficulty in enforcing this during disasters, especially when displaced residents have no other shelter options.
DepEd plans to review this policy once conditions improve.