DepEd hails private firms for helping schools damaged by typhoons

MANILA, Philippines - Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has hailed the many private companies that aided the hundreds of public schools damaged by storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng.”

Calling on more companies for assistance, Lapus said that the Department of Education was still in the process of assessing the total damage wrought by the two typhoons, especially Pepeng, which continued to ravage Northern Luzon last week.

“This is bayanihan at work in our education system,” he said.

“What our donors have done is an example of active community participation in education, which will help our schoolchildren and teachers survive this crisis.”

Among the companies that came to the rescue of public schools were National Bookstore Foundation, which is repacking school supplies to be distributed among public school children.

The National Power Corp. pledged to donate materials and contribute manpower to help clean affected public schools.

Amway Philippines has pledged to donate cleansers and disinfectants.

Public school children in some affected areas can expect school supplies from the Alfonso Yuchengco Foundation, Jollibee Foundation and UnionBank.

DepEd said that there were also hundreds of individuals that have donated used books and cash for the victims of Ondoy and Pepeng.

“The community - including the private sector - is our most important ally in rebuilding our schools,” Lapus said.

“Everybody can do something to help our students and teachers recover from this calamity.”

Lapus said the DepEd was hoping for more aid to come.

“I continue to call on other stakeholders in the private sector to join the bayanihan that is responding to the needs of our schoolchildren and teachers in affected schools,” he said.

“We at DepEd are tirelessly engaging the community to get everyone involved in bringing the physical condition of our public schools back to normal.”

To effectively align available private sector resources, Lapus ordered the DepEd’s Physical Facilities and Schools Engineering Division and the Adopt-a-School Program to closely monitor affected DepEd divisions and get the specific needs of typhoon-hit public schools.

By virtue of Republic Act 8525, the Adopt-a-School Program is a venue where the private sector can help bring the needed resources to public schools.

In recognition of their goodwill, donors may avail of 150 percent tax incentive.

More than 400 private sector individuals and companies have helped the department in the delivery of quality educational services to public schoolchildren since Lapus relaunched the Adopt-a-School in 2006. —Rainier Allan Ronda