Schools suffer minimal damage from Ruby

MANILA, Philippines - Only 101 of the 9,193 schools in areas affected by Typhoon Ruby were damaged or destroyed, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

DepEd said the repair and rehabilitation of schools can be covered by the existing budget and will not require supplemental allocations.

“While minor damage has been reported, DepEd assures the public that measures are in place to guarantee continued delivery of basic education in affected areas,” the agency said.

“Notably, there has been close coordination between DepEd, both in the central office and the local offices, and the education cluster,” it added.

The department said it was able to issue warnings days before the effects of the typhoon were felt, giving school heads time “to secure school structures and keep important documents.”

“General preparedness measures were also circulated to ensure the safety of individuals within school communities,” DepEd said.

Ruby affected parts of the Visayas and Bicol, including areas hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.After Ruby left, DepEd activated different channels that enabled crowdsourcing of information.

“School heads have also been instrumental in providing quick and reliable information,” DepEd said.

“This united front between DepEd and its partners in government and non-government institutions guarantees that education needs such as tents and tarpaulins for temporary learning spaces, are met especially in places that need them the most,” it added.