EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara outlined the Department of Education’s (DepEd) disaster response measures during a situation briefing led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Pampanga, following severe infrastructure damage caused by the enhanced southwest monsoon and recent tropical cyclones.
According to DepEd’s latest assessment, 1,594 schools nationwide suffered damage, affecting 9,597 classrooms.
Central Luzon (Region III) was the hardest hit, accounting for 41 percent of national classroom damage, with 3,596 damaged classrooms across 412 schools affecting 126,584 learners.
Within the region, Pampanga sustained the highest destruction with 1,689 damaged classrooms, followed by Bulacan with 933.
Additionally, 1,066 classrooms across 291 schools nationally are currently serving as evacuation centers for 9,068 displaced families, including 237 classrooms in Region III sheltering 1,951 families.
Angara emphasized that President Marcos directed the agency to prioritize safety while minimizing learning disruption.
To address immediate needs, DepEd identified an initial ₱318.01 million requirement for minor repairs and cleanup nationwide.
For Central Luzon, ₱109.71 million is earmarked for immediate interventions, including ₱
Funding will be sourced from the Disaster Preparedness and Response Program (DPRP) fund and a Special Budget Request to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), alongside partnerships with the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) TUPAD program.
Total major repair and reconstruction costs stand at ₱2.604 billion nationwide, covering ₱359 million for major repairs across 718 schools and ₱2.245 billion for reconstructing 898 schools.
To maintain educational continuity, regional offices are replacing 23,154 damaged self-learning modules, while literacy recovery initiatives like Project Rescue have assisted 65,734 flood-affected learners in Tarlac City.
Schools are also implementing the “4H” framework—Hinto, Hinga, Hinay, and Hayo—under DepEd Order No. 014, s. 2026.
DepEd has also proposed updating Executive Order No. 66, s. 2012 to introduce a three-tier suspension framework, enabling granular, campus-level class resumptions during broader citywide suspensions.
Finally, affected personnel can access up to ₱150,000 via the DepEd Provident Fund Loan, alongside GSIS emergency loans and flexible work schemes.
