DepEd pleads cash for students affected by 'Pablo'

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday pleaded for cash donations for over 50,000 students, whose families were among those affected by typhoon Pablo.

In the latest report of DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, eight regions have reported damages in school buildings scattered around 445 schools.

It said that initial reports from the field revealed that 355 classrooms were partially damaged while over 800 are totally damaged.

As of December 10, 230 schools are still being used as evacuation centers providing shelter for over 31,100 families.

In a memorandum, Education Secretary Armin Luistro appealed for donations from DepEd employees to help teaching and non-teaching personnel who are affected by the typhoon as well as those who are seeking shelter in schools.

Luistro also cancelled the scheduled Christmas party of the DepEd Central Office on December 20.

“We are cancelling our Christmas party in light of the tragedy that befell our fellow countrymen and entrenched in the unanimous desire of government to extend sympathies to the victims," he said.

The DepEd will mobilize the deployment of school tents to serve as temporary learning spaces as well as buffer stocks of instructional materials in affected regions.

“Let us continue to pray for our fellow countrymen and for the entire nation. It is in times like these that we should join hands, as together we will be able to overcome this hurdle” Luistro said.

Donations may be deposited at the Landbank OSEC Trust Account No: 0672-1000-20.

Donors are requested to send a copy of the deposit slip to DepEd Cash Division at telefax no. 6337220 for accounting and documentation purposes.