AS we observed the first anniversary on November 8 of Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan), many people ask, “How is the Department of Education (DepEd) doing with its classroom construction or repair efforts as a result of the devastation brought by Yolanda?”
As of November 5 DepEd has identified the need to construct 2,313 new classrooms and repair 17,335 classrooms. The status of new classroom constructions—101 new classrooms already constructed, while the construction of 1,881 classrooms is ongoing. Status of classroom repairs—833 classrooms completely rehabilitated, while the repair of another 5,764 classrooms is ongoing. The target completion date for all classroom construction and repairs (together with the delivery of all school furniture) is June 2015, in time for the opening of classes for school year (SY) 2015-2016.
As to the other needs brought by Yolanda, DepEd is currently in the process of procuring and delivering 6,470,984 learning materials, and 134 computer packages with December 2014 being the target completion date. After hearing these figures, the same people cannot help but ask, “Why the delay?” To answer this, it is imperative to explain what Deped did from November 9, 2013 to the present. Education Secretary Bro. Armin A. Luistro, FSC, has adopted a four-phase plan in response to the havoc brought by Yolanda.
The first phase is the “Personnel Tracking and Activation of Offices” phase of the plan. Here, DepEd organized search teams in all the five regions affected to locate personnel that could not be contacted. We cleaned up our offices and schools and established temporary offices and command centers so that our local offices would become operational. Initially, we set up a command center in Lahug City in Cebu, and Baybay City in Leyte. We distributed various office equipment, like solar mobile charger, cellular phones, pocket Wifis, SD card, and satellite phones to affected school divisions in Regions six (Eastern Visayas) and eight (Western Visayas). At this stage, no new construction or repair of classrooms is done. During the second phase, which is the “Personnel Care [Teacher Support]” phase of the plan, the DepEd took care of our personnel.
We gave them monetary assistance and packs. We also conducted psychological intervention for some 2,500 DepEd personnel, which was later on cascaded to our more or less 1,886,747 students. At this stage, no new construction or repair of classrooms is still done. Third phase is what we call the “Back to School” phase of the plan, where we constructed make-shift classrooms, distributed tents and continued to clean up our schools to serve as temporary learning spaces for our children.
We also embarked on some supplementary feeding program so as to not only encourage more students to return to schools but also address the issue of hunger among our learners. More or less 400,000 learning kits were also distributed during this third phase of our plan. Classes resumed in “three waves:” November 11, 2013; December 2, 2013; and January 2, 2014. At this stage, while some minor repairs of classrooms may have been done, no new construction of regular classrooms happened. After this is the last phase, which is the “New Construction and Rehabilitation” phase of our classrooms. This is where we are now, the fourth phase where we are presently monitoring the procurement (new construction and repair) of our classrooms and “implementing long-term strategies that have to do with empowering our local offices to do community-based planning. We also spent time identifying new school sites consistent with President Aquino directive to “build back better.” The “build back better” directive is the guiding principle for the development and implementation of post-Yolanda rehabilitation and recovery interventions. Thus, in the case of DepEd, this entails not just the simple restoration of our schools, “but fortifying them that they may be ready for future disasters.”
During a briefing on the “Reconstruction Assistance for the Yolanda Plan” on December 18, 2013, the President said: “We know that we cannot allow ourselves to be trapped in a vicious cycle of destruction and reconstruction. We know that it is more efficient to prioritize resilience now, rather than to keep rebuilding. This is why we are going to build back better. The task immediately before us lies in ensuring that the communities that rise again do so stronger, better and more resilient than before.” The President said this last year. His Excellency reiterated this again on Friday during a visit in Samar.
As of this date, at least 338 classrooms were identified to be located in “hazard zones.” Bro. Armin’s directive on this is very clear: “no more reconstruction of new classrooms in these identified hazard zones.” Also, consistent with the President’s “build back better” principle, our schools are now designed to withstand typhoons or winds traveling up to 250 kilometers per hour or earthquakes up to magnitude-9 intensity.
Lawyer Toni Umali is the current assistant secretary for legal and legislative affairs of the DepEd. He is licensed to practice law not only in the Philippines but also in the State of California and some Federal Courts in the United States of America after passing the California State Bar Examinations in 2004. He is also a member of the National Board of the National Union of Career Executive Service Officers, an organization of career executive service officers comprising the third level, or the managerial class in the group of career positions in the Philippine civil service. He has served as legal consultant to several legislators and local chief executives. he was instrumental in the passage of the K to 12 and the issuance of its implementing rules and regulations. He is also the alternate spokesman of the DepEd.