The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday said it has intensified efforts against the impact of natural disasters in the country as it launched the PlanSmart for Safe Schools platform and a safety guidebook.
The initiative is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure disaster preparedness and resilience in public schools.
“Sa utos na rin ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, ang pokus natin ay kahandaan (In line with the order of President Bongbong Marcos, our focus should be preparedness),” DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said in a statement.
“Kailangan nating masiguro na makakaresponde ang ating mga paaralan na protektahan ang mga mag-aaral at maipagpatuloy ang edukasyon bago, habang, at matapos ang anumang sakuna (We need to ensure that our schools can respond to protect our learners and continue education before, during, and after any calamity).”
The PlanSmart for Safe Schools is a web-based contingency planning application that integrates hazard and risk data from the GeoRiskPH system.
To capacitate school heads and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) coordinators, training sessions will be conducted in 3,012 schools in Metro Manila this November ahead of its target nationwide rollout.
The platform, developed with support from the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST–Phivolcs) and the World Bank, allows schools to create contingency plans in adherence to standards set by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Aside from this, the DepEd also launched the Pillar 1: Safer Learning Facilities Guidebook in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Good Neighbors International Philippines.
The manual serves as a reference for schools to adopt inclusive, climate-resilient, and child-safe construction standards by promoting resilient design, proper site selection, and maintenance practices.
For learning continuity, the DepEd also introduced the Upgraded Temporary Learning Spaces (UTLS) project to improve modular classrooms in disaster-hit areas.
“Ang kahandaan ang pundasyon ng katatagan. Kapag may sapat na kagamitan, pagsasanay, at pasilidad ang ating mga paaralan, makakatiyak tayo na magpapatuloy ang pag-aaral kahit sa gitna ng sakuna (Preparedness is the foundation of resilience. When there are adequate tools, training, and facilities in our schools, we can be assured that students can continue learning despite disasters),” Angara said.
Meanwhile, the DepEd will pilot the M7X School Ready Program in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.
The program aims to boost the preparedness of public schools and DepEd offices against a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, given the imminent threat posed by the West Valley Fault.
Under its certification system, public schools will be awarded an M7.2 Ready School Seal once they complete the checklist on structural safety and non-structural preparedness. (PNA)