TACLOBAN CITY – About 643 classrooms across Eastern Visayas sustained varying degrees of damage after Super Typhoon ‘Uwan’ pummeled the region over the weekend, according to a situational report from the Department of Education (DepEd) regional office.
As of 8 p.m. on November 10, the agency recorded 106 totally damaged classrooms, 93 ‘major damaged classrooms’ and 444, ‘minor damaged classrooms’ in public schools across the region.
The hardest-hit divisions included Samar with 166 damaged classrooms, Borongan City (140), and Maasin City (206), where clearing and clean-up operations are ongoing.
Calbayog City division reported 72 destroyed and damaged classrooms; Catbalogan city division (30) and Tacloban city division (seven).
As of present, Northern Samar, one of the hardest-hit school divisions, has yet to submit their damage report as several island schools remain cut off due to power and internet outages. Communication is being maintained through two-way radios in coordination with local government emergency operations centers.
DepEd Regional Director Ronelo Al Firmo said division and school disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) coordinators have initiated rapid assessments to determine the extent of the destruction and identify immediate needs. “We are validating field data to support requests for assistance and ensure the safety of our learners and personnel,” the report noted.
Power and water services in most parts of the region are being gradually restored. Tacloban City, Samar, and Maasin City reported full restoration of power, while Southern Leyte remains among the most affected with only 25% of electricity and internet services restored.
The report also said 127 schools across the region were used as evacuation centers at the height of the typhoon, sheltering over 4,000 families or 11,485 individuals. Most evacuees have already decamped as weather conditions improved.
DepEd has directed teachers and non-teaching personnel to report back to their respective schools to prepare for the resumption of classes on Wednesday, November 12. Temporary learning spaces (TLS) and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) facilities will be established in heavily affected schools.
The consolidated damage and needs assessment will be forwarded to the DepEd Central Office’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) to facilitate funding support for rehabilitation.
Super Typhoon Uwan, which struck days after Typhoon Tino, brought torrential rains and violent winds to Eastern Visayas, causing widespread flooding, power outages, and displacement before moving northwest toward Northern Luzon.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
