MANILA — Two weeks following the destruction of Manay National High School’s three-storey building from a double earthquake off the shores of Davao Oriental, school administrators are doing everything they can to ensure that learning continues, even if it means turning every usable space into a makeshift classroom.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspected the collapsed structure earlier, highlighting the urgency of rebuilding efforts.
With the loss of a major school building, Gema Francisquete, the school’s principal, said they have expanded the use of every remaining safe area on campus, including facilities never intended for classes.
“Shifting na lang kami. Itong opisina ko, library, reading center, office ng accounting, HE laboratory, tapos school clinic. Siksikan na talaga kasi wala nang mapagpwestuhan,” she said.
Even the school gym and canteen are now being used to accommodate classes.
But the loss goes beyond space. Many learning resources such as televisions were also in the destroyed building making it impossible to retrieve.
The Department of Education (DepEd) estimates that the Philippines currently lacks 148,000 classrooms. This shortage was said to be driven not only by an annual increase in student enrollment but also by disasters like earthquakes and typhoons that regularly damage school infrastructure.
In an interview with DZMM Teleradyo, DepEd Assistant Secretary Aurelio Bartolome said the agency aims to build some 4,800 new classrooms by next year using government funding.
But they’re also eyeing partnerships with the private sector.
“Meron kaming package kasama ng ADB kung saan 15,000 classrooms will be built within the next 2 to 3 years. The next package will be 40,000 classrooms with the help of World Bank in the next 4 to 6 years,” Bartolome said.
The lack of much needed classrooms has pushed Senator Bam Aquino to call on Marcos to certify as urgent Senate Bill 121 or the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP). The bill seeks to decentralize classroom construction.
“Ilagay na natin ang responsibilidad sa mga kaya gawin ito nang mabilis at sa tamang presyo,” Aquino said, referring to local governments and NGOs with proven track records.
WELLNESS BREAK FOLLOWING CONSECUTIVE CALAMITIES
As schools continue to cope with the impacts of disasters and even the rising of influenza-like illnesses, DepEd announced a mid-school year wellness break from October 27 to 30.
In a statement, Angara said the break acknowledges the growing physical and emotional strains on both students and teachers.
“Marami sa ating mga guro at mag-aaral ang galing sa mga lugar na tinamaan ng bagyo at lindol. Konting pahinga muna,” he said.
But while some parents support the break, other worry about losing classroom days.
A 2024 study by the òòò½´«Ã½ (òòò½´«Ã½) found that for Academic Year 2023-2024, more than 50 of the 180 school days were lost due to disruptions from various kinds of calamities.
This is seen to have a significant blow to the learning outcomes that the agency is now trying to address.
With science and data pointing to the possibility of more frequent typhoons among other types of hazards, it remains clear that the challenge is not only rebuilding damaged classrooms but also ensuring and protecting the quality of education that happens inside them.
