DepEd earmarks P1.35B packets during disasters
The Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday said it has allocated P1.35 billion to support preparedness and ensure learning continuity despite natural calamities.
The initiative is in line with the directive of President Marcos Jr. to safeguard the welfare of learners and teachers while maintaining quality education nationwide.
“We want to make sure that, despite typhoons, flooding, or earthquakes, our learners will have learning materials to hold onto. Education must be the last to stop and the first to recover,” DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said in a statement.
The allocation will cover the printing, delivery and training related to learning packets and Dynamic Learning Program (DLP) materials.
Around P950 million is allotted for printing and distributing learning packets to students from Grades 1 to 12, with each learner receiving one packet.
Each learning packet per grade level contains 25 to 50 self-paced activities related to literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills, while others include topics on advanced learning and life skills development.
The DLP materials, which provide learners with structured and activity-based lessons, have a P399 million fund allocation.
Students may use separate paper and notebooks to copy and answer the DLP sheets.
Angara then insisted on the need for available means to ensure disaster-resilience in all schools nationwide.
“In hard times, learners need more hope and direction. That’s why despite the limited electricity, signal, or ways, there must be means to continue learning,” he said.
Besides these, the DepEd also stressed the importance of close collaboration with local government units (LGUs) to implement alternative delivery modes during suspensions of face-to-face classes.
President Marcos on Friday urged LGUs to ensure the timely completion of classroom construction and adhere to proper standards.
Change the system
During the distribution of emergency vehicles at the Butuan Sports Complex in Libertad, Butuan City, the President emphasized the need to change the system, citing the delays in the Departmentent of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) processing of permits and other documentary requirements for the establishment of school buildings.
“The budget is channeled through the DPWH, which is why the processing of clearances and permits takes place there. The process takes too long,” Marcos said.
He expressed confidence in local chief executives, noting that they will be closely monitored to prevent ghost projects or substandard work.
He said the shift aims to accelerate classroom construction across the country, while ensuring accountability and quality at the local level.
About 2,370 classrooms will be built through the partnership of DepEd, DPWH and local government units, with an estimated 2,000 targeted for completion by the third quarter of 2026, Palace press officer Claire Castro told reporters on Thursday.
