In order to repair, renovate, or rebuild schools that were damaged in recent catastrophes or calamities that struck the nation, the Department of Education (DepEd) requires P18 billion.
DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa stated during a press conference on Thursday, August 4, that DepEd is still keeping an eye on the damage caused by the recent earthquake and typhoons to schools.
Furthermore, Poa made this statement in reference to the areas that were affected by the recent Abra earthquake as well as those that were completely destroyed by typhoons “Odette” and “Agaton” in December 2021 and April 2022, respectively, “P18 billion ang kailangan natin para maipagawa ang mga paaralan na ito (We need P18 billion to fix these schools).”
Poa reported that DepEd has already asked President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. for an additional P16 billion under the direction of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte.
The extra funding, however, is only intended to cover the costs of the schools affected by Typhoons “Odette” and “Agaton.”
Poa noted that DepEd is also looking for funding to repair or reconstruct these facilities since the number of schools damaged during the Abra earthquake keeps rising. “The impact of the Abra earthquake is tremendous,” he said. “Our DepEd staff and field offices have been on the ground since Day 1 and have been continuously monitoring the situation.”
According to Poa, who cited latest data, there are now more affected schools, and DepEd is still searching for effective solutions for the afflicted regions.
Regarding the expense of the damages caused by the Abra earthquake, Poa stated, “Right now, we are already looking at an approximate cost of P2.1 billion.”
