MANILA, Philippines – A total of 738 public schools in four regions will not be able to begin classes on Monday, July 29, in the wake of severe flooding and landslides caused by the southwest monsoon or habagat.
The southwest monsoon, which was enhanced by Typhoon Carina (Gaemi), affected much of Luzon in the past few days. It also brought heavy rain to parts of Mindanao in mid-July.
On Friday, July 26, the Department of Education (DepEd) said majority of the 738 public schools that cannot start the new academic year on Monday are in Central Luzon, with 442.
Around a fourth, or 206, are in Metro Manila. The capital region is among the areas that have been placed under a state of calamity.
Eighty-six are in the Cordillera Administrative Region and four are in Soccsksargen.
DepEd data also show 64 public schools are still being used as evacuation centers as of Friday, out of the 425 in total that temporarily housed evacuees.
At least 246 public schools were flooded.
The disaster came barely a week since Education Secretary Sonny Angara assumed his post, taking over from Vice President Sara Duterte, who resigned from the DepEd.
In a post on X on Thursday, July 25, Angara rejected the idea of postponing the opening of classes for all public schools.
“Last year, students missed up to 53 class days out of the 180-day school year…. We should take advantage of every day to learn because we don’t want a repeat of the learning loss which has already occurred,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Finance (DOF) said on Friday that the Bureau of the Treasury will file a claim under the National Indemnity Insurance Program for the repair and reconstruction of damaged public schools.
The DepEd will be able to use the insurance payout for 45 public schools in eight regions that sustained damage worth at least P308.5 million, added the DOF. – Rappler.com