DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 15 Oct) — The Department of Education in the Davao Region (DepEd-Davao) has recorded a total of 918 classrooms in public schools in the region that were totally damaged by powerful twin earthquakes that struck off the coast of Manay, Davao Oriental, with an impact felt across several areas in Mindanao and the Visayas on October 10.
During the Davao Peace and Security Press Conference on Wednesday, Jenielito Atillo, DepEd-Davao spokesperson, said that areas affected by the earthquakes have suspended face-to-face classes and are now implementing alternative learning modalities.
The official said that the most affected area was Davao Oriental, where 392 classrooms were completely destroyed, followed by Davao del Sur with 186, Davao de Oro with 178, Davao City with 100, Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) with 35, Davao Occidental with 25, and Tagum City with two.
Atillo said that no one is allowed near damaged structures because the “risk is quite high.”
He said 3,806 classrooms in the region sustained minor damage, while 787 classrooms reportedly suffered major damage.
“Our system now to address this is either by implementing our alternative delivery modes. It’s what we usually do — using either modular learning or online classes, if online is feasible — and we also consider shifting schedules,” Atillo said.
He said that as part of the short-term measures, the department also plans to put up temporary learning spaces, such as tents, in addition to shifting class schedules, to prevent class disruptions.
Atillo added that shifting to alternative learning modalities is not new, as the DepEd learned from the experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We will ensure the continuity of the conduct of classes because we cannot allow this calamity to obliterate the provision of education for our students,” he said.
Atillo added that officials from the regional office of DepEd have yet to determine when repairs on the damaged infrastructure will begin, but noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed that the restoration should be carried out immediately.
Considering the scale of destruction caused to school buildings, he said rebuilding will take time.
“This is a huge number, and we are trying to respond to this. The only way to resolve this is the construction of new classrooms. So it would mean we have to look for an area in the school where we can build new structures,” he said.
Last Monday, Marcos Jr. visited areas in the province of Davao Oriental affected by the October 10 earthquakes.
Atillo said the agency has yet to determine the estimated cost of damage to school buildings, but he noted each classroom costs around ₱3 million.
He said DepEd is working closely with the Department of Public Works and Highways and local government units to assess damaged school buildings and potential sites for the construction of new school buildings.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake jolted Manay, Davao Oriental, at 9:43 a.m. on October 10. Approximately nine hours later, at 7:12 p.m., a second earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 occurred in the same area.
According to data from DepEd-Davao, a total of 114,820 learners across the region were affected. Of this number, 45,718 or 39.8 percent were from Davao de Oro, 31,484 from Davao del Norte, 20,753 from Davao Oriental, 8,369 from Davao City, 4,141 from Davao del Sur, and 4,355 from Davao Occidental.
As of October 14, the agency recorded a total of 1,366 schools affected and 215 school children injured due to the tremors.
He said inspection of school buildings is currently ongoing before quake-hit areas could resume face-to-face classes to ensure the safety of teachers and students.
“We will never allow anyone to go back to face-to-face without the buildings being checked. If we say it’s already okay, it means that permission has been granted by our experts — engineers from DepEd, DPWH, and the LGU,” he said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
