DepEd to fast-track repair of typhoon-damage schools

Sunday, December 25, 2011

THE Department of Education (DepEd) said Sunday it has ordered its engineers and field units to fast-track the repair and rehabilitation of schools damaged by typhoon Sendong in Mindanao.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said aside from repairing damaged schools, he has also ordered their engineers in Northern Mindanao, particularly in the cities of Iligan and Cagayan De Oro to construct makeshift classrooms to temporarily accommodate students who will be returning to their respective classes next month.

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Luistro said the resumption of classes would help the affected students move on from the tragedy and returned to normal lives even as he vowed support not only for students but also for teachers in the affected communities.

Earlier, the department said a team from their Health and Nutrition Division, the National Center for Mental Health and the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention will conduct stress debriefing and psycho-social therapy on students and teachers to help them cope with the tragic situation and help them to move on as well as release pent-up feelings and emotions.

The DepEd chief expressed belief that the rehabilitation initiatives, especially on the area of psycho-social intercession, will eventually have a substantial impact on the recovery of the victims enabling them to cope with the harrowing experiences they had gone through.

Aside from these initiatives, Luistro also promised financial help to teachers in the form of loans to help them tide things over.

Families of teachers who died during the catastrophe will be given P10,000 each in financial assistance while teaching and non-teaching employees will be provided with calamity loans through DepEd’s provident fund.

In terms of school infrastructure damage, a latest DepEd report showed 39 schools, including two in Iligan City that were totally washed out, with 406 classrooms sustained damage mostly due to the massive flooding wrought by Sendong for an estimated cost of P79.6 million.

Damages for school furniture stood at P20.42 million, P2.075 million for textbooks and instructional materials and P3.85 million for IT equipment.

Overall, Luistro said total estimated damage to DepEd properties is at P105.95 million with majority of the fund for repair and rehabilitation coming from the department’s Quick Reaction Fund. (AH/Sunnex)