IT WAS announced in an official statement of the Department of Education (DepEd) that it is open to accepting donations for students, teaching and non-teaching personnel affected by past disasters in the country including the Super Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses that devastated the whole of Luzon. It prompted the President to declare a state of calamity in the whole area.
According to DepEd Undersecretary for Legislative Affairs, External Partnerships and Project Management Service Tonisito Umali, they encourage the public to extend donations to typhoon victims.
It is better to have in-kind donations and they avoid accepting any monetary donations. For more information on how to send donations to the affected teachers and students, you may contact your respective division and district offices or any school or learning center across DepEd-Davao Region.
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Meanwhile, Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del Pascua said that DepEd engineers are already drawing up proposals for new school designs but noted that the reconstruction or rehabilitation efforts will vary depending on the current status of school buildings and available funds.
Pascua said the department has to go back to the drawing board because the typhoons are getting stronger and stronger. Pascua emphasized that DepEd’s target, within the next 15 to20 years, is that the school buildings are still standing and will not be destroyed.
He cited roofing, ceiling, and window patterns, as well as engineering as major considerations in the redesigning of DepEd facilities.
Moreover, the undersecretary stressed that aside from the redesigning, local DepEd engineers and school heads should work together in ensuring that only appropriate materials will be used by winning contractors to achieve storm- and earthquake-proof school buildings.
He concluded that engineers should be present and they should see [construction of facilities] to find out if the steel is correct or before installing the ceiling, everything will be fine. There is a need to watch to make sure everything is in standard thus the need to increase the number of engineers in DepEd.