Culture & Entertainment · Philippines Bureau
Nearly 10,000 Philippine classrooms damaged by monsoon and tropical cyclones
The Department of Education reports that successive tropical cyclones enhanced by the southwest monsoon have left over 9,800 classrooms across the Philippines damaged or destroyed. The destruction occurred as four cyclones swept through the region in recent weeks.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — More than 9,800 classrooms have sustained damage from the combined impact of the southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat, intensified by four consecutive tropical cyclones, according to the Department of Education's latest damage assessment.
The DepEd situation report as of Sunday morning indicated that 5,731 classrooms suffered minor damage, while 2,055 sustained major structural damage across the affected regions. The destruction followed the passage of Tropical Cyclones Luis, Maymay, Neneng, and Obet, which compounded the effects of the prevailing monsoon system.
The extent of damage to educational facilities highlights the vulnerability of the country's school infrastructure to extreme weather events. The successive cyclones, which occurred within a compressed timeframe, amplified rainfall and wind speeds that overwhelmed existing drainage systems and structural resilience in many areas.
Education officials have begun preliminary assessments to determine repair timelines and budgetary requirements. The damage to classrooms threatens to disrupt the academic calendar in affected provinces, potentially delaying the return to in-person classes for thousands of students.