‘Enteng’ damages 700 classrooms in Bicol; recovery efforts underway

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V i s i t B i c o l

LEGAZPI CITY—Barely a month into the school year, around 236 schools across the Bicol Region are grappling with the aftermath of Tropical Storm “Enteng” (international name: Yagi), as partial reports from the Office of Civil Defense reveal that 739 classrooms have been either damaged or destroyed.

Sixty-eight classrooms in Naga City and the provinces of Albay and Camarines Sur were destroyed by “Enteng.”

OCD Bicol divides the damaged classrooms into two: While 159 classrooms incurred major damage, 512 sustained minor damage.

Those with major damage may be repaired with “internal and external support,” according to OCD, while those with minor report may be repaired using the schools’ Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE).

Gremil Alexis Naz, OCD spokesperson, told ravstheworld.com on Friday that the agency was still expecting more reports from various divisions in the region.

Most of the affected schools were in Camarines Sur, with 194 schools reporting damage.

According to the partial report, close to P11 million has been requested for the repair of the classrooms and the building of temporary learning spaces.

Mayflor Jumamil, Department of Education spokesperson, told ravstheworld.com that a total of 217 temporary learning spaces were needed for the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, and Camarines Norte, and in Naga City.

She said that as of Friday the disaster risk reduction and management coordinators of the department were still making rounds to see the full extent of the damage.

Jumamil told said that these temporary learning spaces will be based on DepEd’s defined dimensions, but they are open to donations from local government units and non-governmental organizations.

“It is crucial (that these schools have temporary learning spaces) because this ensures the learners’ continuity of learning, although there is a policy that if in-person classes are not possible, teaching modalities shift to alternative delivery modes,” Jumamil told ravstheworld.com. “But it is more favorable that the modality is in-person, because the students are more guided.”

Jumamil said that requesting temporary learning spaces for some areas is subject for consideration since some schools may still be experiencing flooding.

As of noon Friday, Sept. 6, 16 villages in Camarines Sur were still reeling from flood, according to the OCD. A total of 435 villages throughout Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, and Sorsogon experienced flooding amid the heavy rains brought by “Enteng.”