The Philippine Online Chronicles

The Department of Education (DepEd) is set to revise its policy for suspending classes during emergency situations, such as typhoons and other natural calamities.

“We are planning to revise more because of rains,” said Education Secretary Armin Luistro. “Our current protocol in canceling classes is really more about typhoons.”

“A lot of our experiences in the past year are localized floods. So we said, we should include rainfall and flooding in our protocol,” he said.

Last year, DepEd was made to call off classes in areas affected by heavy floods, especially in Mindanao and the Bicol region.

The department’s current system calls for the cancellation of public preschool or kindergarten classes in the event of a signal no. 1 typhoon, and a suspension of classes on all levels in the event of a signal no. 2 or higher typhoon.

Defective structures

The DepEd is also turning its attention to schools with noted structural defects. In the wake of the earthquake which devastated Japan, DepEd Physical Facilities and Schools Engineering Division chief Oliver Hernandez has pointed to 12 schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) which need monitoring, retrofitting or condemnation.

The 12 schools are among 107 schools in the NCR which were found to have structural defects. Nationwide, another 671 school buildings have been found to have defects due to old age, poor construction, and frequent battering by typhoons. .

DepEd is also working together with the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (Phivolcs) to identify schools located on active faultlines and which may be severely affected in the event of a strong earthquake.

Hernandez said that repairs and retrofitting of the listed schools should be finished by the start of the next school year.

The 12 NCR schools and their current status are:

1. Araullo High School in Manila - replaced.
2. M. Roxas High School in Manila – ongoing renovation.
3. Manila High School in Manila – ongoing renovation.
4. T. Paez High School in Manila - demolished structure.
5. T. Paez Elementary School in Manila - one building for retrofitting.
6. T. Alonzo High School in Manila - declared condemned for retrofitting.
7. Kalayaan High School in Pasay - ongoing replacement.
8. A. Bonifacio Elementary School in Mandaluyong – already renovated.
9. Renato Lopez Elementary School in Mandaluyong - for further evaluation and possible replacement.
10. Pag-asa Elementary School in Caloocan City - for further evaluation and on-going replacement.
11. Bagong Silangan in QC - possible relocation upon verification from PHILVOCS if it is indeed standing on a fault line.
12. Batasan Elementary School in QC - needs heavy renovation.