Politics · Philippines Bureau
Over 11,000 classrooms damaged nationwide by monsoon and cyclones
The Department of Education reported Wednesday that recent southwest monsoon rains and tropical cyclones have inflicted severe damage on school infrastructure across the Philippines. The combined disaster impact has affected more than 11,000 classrooms in over 2,200 schools.
LSN Philippines ·
Flooding and heavy rainfall from the habagat, or southwest monsoon, coupled with recent tropical cyclone activity, have devastated educational facilities throughout the country, according to DepEd officials. The scale of destruction underscores the vulnerability of school infrastructure to extreme weather events during the monsoon season.
Data released by the Department of Education on Wednesday indicated that 2,243 schools sustained damage, with classroom destruction reaching 11,167 units nationwide. The geographic spread of damage reflects how widely the weather systems impacted different regions across the archipelago.
To address the crisis and restore learning facilities, the DepEd has indicated that approximately P7.783 billion in funding will be required for repairs and reconstruction efforts. Officials are assessing damage across all regions to prioritize the most severely affected areas for immediate intervention.
The destruction of classrooms poses significant challenges to the education sector as schools prepare for the academic year, potentially disrupting instruction for thousands of students. The department is expected to provide further updates on its rehabilitation timeline and resource allocation strategy in coming weeks.