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Quake damage to Cebu schools estimated at over P1B—DepEd
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Quake damage to Cebu schools estimated at over P1B—DepEd

The damage to schools caused by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Cebu last month is estimated to reach more than a billion pesos and affect thousands of students, teachers and nonteaching staff in the province.

“The total damage to schools across the province is projected to exceed P1 billion, with more than 50,000 learners and over 1,400 teaching and nonteaching personnel affected, including nearly 900 in Bogo City,” Salustiano Jimenez, the Department of Education (DepEd) regional director for Central Visayas, said on Thursday.

In an earlier statement, the DepEd said the strong quake destroyed 1,187 classrooms, caused major damage to 803 more and minor damage to 5,587 others. It added that this will lead to the displacement of students and the disruption of classes in the province, with the situation expected to return to normal in at least 30 days.

The DepEd said it has already reinforced its disaster preparedness and response systems through the deployment of rapid assessment teams and the launch of new tools and facilities aimed at strengthening education resilience.

This includes major initiatives like the “PlanSmart for Safe Schools,” a web-based contingency planning application developed to enable schools to create evidence-based contingency plans.

The DepEd will begin next month a series of training sessions for 3,012 schools in the Greater Metro Manila area before the nationwide rollout.

‘Learning continues’

In addition, it will pilot the “M7X School Ready Program” which aims to strengthen earthquake preparedness in public schools and DepEd offices.

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The test run will prioritize schools in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon, particularly those situated along or near the West Valley Fault.

The DepEd also unveiled its “Pillar 1: Safer Learning Facilities Guidebook,” a reference manual that aims to empower schools to adopt inclusive, climate-resilient and child-safe construction standards.

It likewise rolled out the upgraded temporary learning spaces (TLS) or modular classrooms designed to ensure that classes continue while permanent school structures undergo repair or reconstruction.

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