THE Department of Education in Central Luzon is set to assist schools and students who were affected by the April 22 earthquake that jolted parts of Pampanga.
According to DepEd-3 Officer-in-Charge Nicolas Capulong, the agency started the post-disaster recovery programs aimed at assisting the schools that were heavily affected by the said tremor.
Through the DepEd Central Office’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Services (DRRMS), the regional office conducted a Psychological First Aid Training for School Guidance Counselors and Coordinators in Central Luzon on August 5-7 at the National Educators’ Academy of the Philippines (NEAP)-Region III in Angeles City.
“We want to capacitate our school guidance counselors to provide the needed psychosocial support to the learners, teachers, and even school officials after the traumatic experience relative to the 6.1 magnitude earthquake. After the training, these personnel shall be going around the affected schools to conduct debriefing and other post-disaster activities,” Capulong said.
The training, participated in by 62 registered guidance counselors and 38 school coordinators, includes topics on mental health and psychosocial support services, psychological first aid, and simulation exercises.
Meanwhile, Capulong disclosed that they have also submitted its request for funding amounting to P410 million to the Central Office for the repair and new construction of a total of 485 classrooms in 110 school sites in Central Luzon.
This was after the site inspection and validation of the concerned DepEd Schools Division Engineers and the Central Office Education Facilities Division in the affected schools within the region, he furthered.
In particular, 319 classrooms in 68 school sites need repair and rehabilitation while 166 classrooms in 42 school sites need new buildings. Among the provinces, Pampanga has the most number of repair and construction needs with a total of 168 classrooms in 27 school sites.