The Santa Teresita National High School in Cagayan province was one of the schools damaged by Supertyphoon Goring in 2023. (PHOTO FROM DepEd Cagayan)
MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Tuesday called for an increase in the Department of Education’s (DepEd) quick response fund (QRF) for the immediate repair and rehabilitation of damaged school buildings.
In a statement, Angara cited the report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2), an agency tasked to assess and evaluate the performance of the Philippine education sector, on the lack of the agency’s QRF.
Article continues after this advertisement“Our current Quick Response Fund is simply not enough to address the scale of destruction we face each year. If we want to rebuild quickly and effectively, we need more resources,” Angara said.
FEATURED STORIES NEWSINFO Robredo: LP to navigate challenging times sans Lagman NEWSINFO SWS trust ratings for Marcos, Duterte continue to drop NEWSINFO Big biz group joins call to stop P200 wage hikeEdcom 2’s Year 2 report states that DepEd’s disaster funds “are insufficient and constrained by procedural limitations, hampering proactive disaster preparedness and effective response reports.”
QRF is a standby fund that agencies can use to assist calamity-stricken areas. The DepEd is one of the five agencies allocated a QRF.
Article continues after this advertisementThe Edcom 2’s report said that as the Philippines ranks as the most disaster-prone country, the “DepEd still faces annual losses of Php 17.98 billion due to high hazard exposure” even when all school buildings are in “optimal condition.”
Article continues after this advertisementThe DepEd also noted that 1,855 schools were affected by various calamities in 2024, resulting in P6.6 billion in classroom repairs and rehabilitation.
Article continues after this advertisementIt added that while the agency’s QRF has been increased to P3 billion, the fund remains “insufficient to meet these demands.”
The Edcom 2 likewise recommended that “[t]o address climate-related challenges to school infrastructure, education policymakers must prioritize building climate-resilient structures and designing innovative learning solutions.”
Article continues after this advertisementFurther, Angara said that the agency will focus on constructing calamity-resilient school buildings.
LTO-NCR Director Roque Verzosa III said Friday that from the figure, 2,451 motorists were apprehended for violating Republic Act No. 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code; 1,625, for unbuckled seat belts; and 593, for wearing unauthorized motorcycle helmets.
The DepEd also announced that building 15,000 classrooms, in agreement with a public-private partnership, will benefit 1,600 schools across nine regions.
“Tututukan natin ang pagpapatayo ng mga disaster-resilient facilities sa ating schools, lalo na sa mga lubhang naapektuhan ng mga bagyo noong nakaraang taon. Our facilities must have structural integrity to withstand stronger typhoons and earthquakes,” Angara underscored.
slots casino real money(We will focus on constructing disaster-resilient facilities in our schools, especially the calamity-stricken areas last year.)
Education officials recently led a groundbreaking ceremony for the 12-story medium-rise public school building at the Don Vicente Rama National High School in Cebu City.
The school building, according to DepEd, is designed “to withstand natural disasters” and houses 42 classrooms, nine workshops, an audiovisual room, a library, a clinic, and fully equipped laboratories.
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It added that it will accommodate 2dc188,000 students in one shift.
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