DepEd opens flood-resilient school in Pampanga

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday inaugurated a flood-resilient school building and spearheaded relief operations in the flood-hit municipalities of Masantol and Macabebe, Pampanga.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the structure is part of a broader initiative to make learning spaces more disaster-resilient amid the worsening impacts of climate change.

“Yung nakita nating classroom sa Masantol, I think 'yun yung talagang magiging modelo for flood-prone areas. Sa Bicol, dito, sa Bulacan. 'Yan din ang gusto ng Pangulo, na may permanent solutions na tayo — hindi yung nag-adjust. We must adapt our policies,” Angara said.

Following the ceremonial opening, Angara held a dialogue with educators, students, and community members affected by recent floods in a roundtable forum held in another part of the school. He later led the distribution of food packs and essential supplies to affected teaching and non-teaching personnel.

Angara emphasized that his agency is taking swift and comprehensive action in times of calamity. These include conducting damage assessments, offering psychosocial support, and ensuring continuity of learning.

“Kapag may kalamidad, una nating tanong: ligtas ba ang mga paaralan? Kumusta ang ating mga guro at kawani? Kaya’t sinigurado ng DepEd, alinsunod sa utos ng Pangulo, na may agarang tugon at aktwal na pagdalaw sa inyo ngayon,” said Angara, who also visited San Isidro Elementary School and San Nicolas Elementary School.

At nearby Macabebe Elementary School, Angara also led the distribution of another round of relief packs. The relief mission in Pampanga provided over 2,000 food packs for teachers, non-teaching staff, and their families.

“Hindi natin kayang pigilan ang bagyo, pero kaya nating ihanda ang bansa. Basta’t magkakasama tayo—DepEd, LGU, Kongreso, at mga guro—walang hindi kakayanin,” said Angara, reaffirming DepEd’s whole-of-government approach to education continuity and disaster response.

The “flood-resilient” school buildings being referred to are part of DepEd’s upgraded standard designs meant for flood-prone areas. These are typically constructed using reinforced concrete and structural steel to ensure strength and durability against water and wind hazards.

Many of these buildings follow a stilt-type or elevated design, which has been especially effective in regions with frequent flooding. This design concept was previously applied in typhoon-resilient schools in areas like Bicol and has since been refined through site-specific risk assessments and climate-adaptive planning.