PASIG CITY, September 13, 2018 – In anticipation of the possible effects of Typhoon “Ompong” on 11 regions as it approaches the country, the Department of Education (DepEd), through its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS), is coordinating with different agencies of the government for preparedness, monitoring, and response efforts.

Based on data gathered by DRRMS, Ompong is set to affect 76 school divisions, 19,704 schools, and 7,722,707 learners. The 11 affected regions are Regions I, II, III, IV-A, V, VI, VIII, X, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), National Capital Region (NCR), CARAGA.

Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, Undersecretary Alain Pascua, and DRRMS Dir. Ronilda Co joined President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on September 13 to check the preparations and the monitoring of the typhoon at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Operations Center.

“We are bracing for a powerful typhoon, and the need to ensure that our educators, learners, personnel are prepared and safe is just as important as the need to ensure that education continues no matter what. We have mobilized DRRMS and our field offices to make sure that all the efforts for preparedness are in place, and that damage will be minimal,” the Education chief stated.

The Department and its field offices have already taken the necessary actions to ensure that operations run smoothly and possible damages are mitigated.

DepEd Central Office:
– Ensured availability of funds for temporary learning spaces (TLS), clean-up and minor repair, hygiene kits, learners’ kits, teachers’ kits, and emergency school feeding;
– Ensured resources like learning materials are on standby for deployment;
– Ensured the availability of manpower in all DepEd offices;
– Mobilized tracking of key officials, such as Regional Directors, Schools Division Superintendents, and chiefs of Education Support Services Division (ESSD) and School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD);
– Monitored regions and divisions with class suspension and schools used as evacuation centers;
– Directed field offices to closely coordinate with local government units (LGUs) for local inter-agency actions to be taken;
– Disseminated advisories from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) to regions and divisions;
– Deployed DRRMS staff for 24/7 red alert duty

DepEd Regional and Division Offices:
– Disseminated weather updates based in PAGASA issuances;
– Monitored divisions with class suspension and schools used as evacuation centers;
– Continued coordination with LGUs for inter-agency actions for preparedness and response in exposed provinces;
– Deployed staff at the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) emergency operation center;
– Esnured availability of manpower for possible augmentation of Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) and Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) in affected divisions;
– Ensured resources like learning materials are on standby for deployment;
– Tracked key officials such as Regional Directors, Schools Division Superintendents, and chiefs of ESSD and SGOD;
– Monitored schools on their preparedness measures per DepEd Order 83, series 2011 (Disaster Preparedness Measures for Schools) and DepEd Memorandum 108, series 2016 (Preparedness Measures for the Rainy Season);
– Released memorandum for the activation of School DRRM Coordinators.

Ways forward:
– Deployment of DRRMS staff for RDANA and PDNA, if needed;
– Deploy assistance, such as TLS, learners’ kits, etc., to ensure continuity of learning;
– Continuous dissemination of weather updates to exposed and affected regions;
– Continuous coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), OCD, and other concerned agencies for possible use of schools as evacuation centers and in case of casualties;
– Continuous monitoring of class suspensions, schools used as evacuation centers, and other effects of the typhoon;
– Continuous deployment of DRRMS staff for 24/7 duty in the operation center

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