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PASIG CITY, July 28, 2022 – The Department of Education (DepEd) reported that 35 schools in 15 school division offices from Luzon sustained infrastructure damages in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Abra and nearby provinces on Wednesday morning.

According to the initial Rapid Assessment of Damages Report (RADaR) of agency’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS), there were 11 damaged schools from Region III (Central Luzon), nine from Region II (Cagayan Valley), eight schools from Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and seven schools from Region I (Ilocos Region) which incurred damages from the recent earthquake.

DRRMS’ report revealed that the initial estimated cost for the earthquake’s reconstruction and rehabilitation of the damaged schools is at Php 228.5 million.

Moreover, there were around 8,027 affected schools or those schools in areas with reported and instrumental intensity in the PHIVOLCS’ Earthquake Information or were reported to have casualties.

The Department has attended the 1st Response Cluster Meeting and joined the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Virtual Emergency Operations
Center to further assess the situation of the affected regions due to the earthquake.

“The Department of Education (DepEd) is one with the nation in praying for the safety and welfare of the Filipino people amidst the magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Abra.”

DepEd has called for an emergency meeting with the Regional and Division DRRM Coordinators of the affected regions to present updates and response actions undertaken by their office.

DRRMS has likewise coordinated with the field DRRM Coordinators to get the latest updates on the number of affected learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel.

The earthquake’s epicenter, which Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology categorized as tectonic, was in Tayum, Abra. Intensity VII was felt at Bucloc and Manabo, Abra (reported), and Vigan City (instrumental).

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