Danniell Domingo

In response to the onslaught caused by Super Typhoon Pepito in much of Luzon and parts of the Visayas, the Department of Education (DepEd) has implemented strict measures to ensure the safety, protection, and continuity of learning in affected schools.

Photo Courtesy of Manila Standard/Philippine News Agency.

In a memorandum issued on Nov. 18, school officials were directed to report any displaced DepEd personnel and students or casualties through coordinating with their local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO).

They were also instructed to disseminate safety protocols, including hotlines and activating the medical team to address any medical needs of students and personnel.

School Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) teams were required to submit the Rapid Assessment of Damages Report (RADaR) within 72 hours, using either the RADaR application or the offline template.

To ensure learning continuity, school officials were ordered to implement Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMs) through the most appropriate learning delivery modalities, like modular and online distance learning.

For response interventions, clean-up operations and minor repairs to schools’ facilities must also be executed through collaborating with their Local Government Units (LGUs) to enable a safe learning environment for the students and teachers.

Regional offices (ROs) and school division offices (SDOs) were tasked with accomplishing regular Situation Reports every day no later than 9:00 a.m.

Regional and division heads must cover the date of suspension and resumption of classes; list of schools used as evacuation centers; list of schools affected by flooding or landslide; list of identified needs of learners and personnel; response activities taken; and plans for learning recovery.

DepEd has urged all field officials to comply with the measures and treat them with urgency.

In challenging times, the department assured to remain steadfast in its commitment in serving and protecting the learners and personnel.

Super Typhoon Pepito (Man-yi) had exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Nov. 18.

As a super typhoon, it inflicted maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h during its first landfall, and 185 km/h during its second landfall.

In Pangasinan, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported on Nov. 20 that the typhoon caused P753.6 million in damage to roads and public structures and P11.5 million in losses to crops and livestock.