DepEd asks DPWH to release school rehab funds early

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) is now asking for P600 million from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the reconstruction and repair of the partially and totally damaged school infrastructures in northern Cebu.

The DepEd project engineers together with the DPWH assessed the damages weeks after the northern Cebu was hit by super typhoon Yolanda last November 8.

Victor Yntig, DepEd field supervisor and focal person of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), said that schools belong to the Cebu Province Division and the Bogo City Division were  among of those affected.

In Cebu Province, 1,731 schools are partially damaged and 311 are totally damaged while in Bogo City, 237 are partially damaged and 132 are totally damaged.

Yntig hopes the funding for the reconstruction and repair of the school infrastructures will be released early next year so they could immediately start and finished everything before the opening of the next school year.

“We are just relying with the DPWH for the reconstruction as the construction arm of the government,” he said.

DepEd is also thankful for private groups who pledged learning kits like textbooks and reference books for the schools and students.

“We still have adopt-a-school program and adopt-a-classroom program,” Yntig said in a press conference.

Classes in northern Cebu will resume next year but Yntig clarified that it is not mandatory or it depends to the students if they will go to school or not.

“Required number of days per year naa na but we will not be strict this time to cover due to the situation,” Yntig said adding that they will only cover the corresponding curriculum requirements as they are trying to address the schools’ needs.

Classes are held temporarily at makeshift, barangay offices and tents.— (FREEMAN)