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A DepEd report provides a clearer picture: 408 schools are affected, 244 classrooms are destroyed, and nearly 4,000 students are displaced across Bicol
SORSOGON, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) is racing against time to salvage the academic calendar after a string of typhoons upended public schools in the Bicol region.
Schools started holding make-up classes, a move prompted by what officials describe as “unprecedented learning disruptions,” starting on Monday, November 25.
DepEd Regional Director Gilbert Sadsad signed a memorandum, ordering make-up classes and postponing in-service training programs (INSET) for public teachers to February 2025.
The order showed the fallout from weeks of relentless weather disturbances that affected the Bicol region. It began with Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami) in late October and culminated in Super Typhoon Pepito (Man-yi) on November 16.
Catanduanes was among the areas which bore the brunt, its communities battered and schools crippled.
DepEd-Bicol’s internal Rapid Assessment of Damages Report (RADAR), dated November 19, gave a clearer picture: 408 schools affected, 244 classrooms destroyed, and nearly 4,000 students displaced across the region.
Camarines Sur leads the tally with 144 schools impacted, followed by Camarines Norte with 113, Catanduanes with 108, and Naga City with 43.
A total of 244 classrooms were reported as destroyed, with Catanduanes accounting for 102 of these, Camarines Sur for 128, and Camarines Norte for 13. Moreover, 3,848 learners were displaced across the region due to the effects of Pepito.
While many classrooms lay in ruins, the financial toll remains unclear.
Sadsad’s directive “aims to compensate for learning losses during the suspension of classes and address learning gaps caused by Tropical Storm Kristine and Super Typhoon Pepito.”
The make-up classes would also “ensure that competencies missed during the suspended sessions are adequately covered,” read part of the memo.
Sadsad instructed all schools division offices in Bicol to focus on conducting “in-person” make-up classes as he assured the public of DepEd’s commitment to providing quality education and addressing learning gaps.
DepEd-Bicol has deployed its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) team to Catanduanes to conduct a post-disaster needs assessment following the devastation caused by Pepito, Sadsad said.
The team will “conduct field validations of reported damages in Catanduanes, address the immediate needs of learners and teachers in the hardest-hit areas, and ensure that unsafe spaces are clearly marked and safety protocols are promptly disseminated,” the official added.
The data gathered will serve as the basis for requesting additional funds to address the urgent needs of learners and teachers in the affected areas, the report said. – Rappler.com
