DepEd boosts disaster preparedness with new tools, quake-ready schools initiative

The Department of Education (DepEd) has strengthened its disaster preparedness and response systems through the deployment of rapid assessment teams and the launch of new tools and facilities aimed at improving education resilience.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara underscored the importance of disaster preparedness at the school level to ensure the safety of teachers and non-teaching personnel.

“Sa utos na rin ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, ang pokus natin ay kahandaan. Kailangan nating masiguro na makakaresponde ang ating mga paaralan na protektahan ang mga mag-aaral at maipagpatuloy ang edukasyon bago, habang, at matapos ang anumang sakuna,” Angara said.

“Ang kahandaan ang pundasyon ng katatagan. Kapag may sapat na kagamitan, pagsasanay, at pasilidad ang ating mga paaralan, makakatiyak tayo na magpapatuloy ang pag-aaral kahit sa gitna ng sakuna,” he added.

According to DepEd Region VII Director Salustiano Jimenez, total damage to schools across the province is projected to exceed ₱1 billion, with more than 50,000 learners and over 1,400 teaching and non-teaching personnel affected, including nearly 900 in Bogo City, Cebu.

As response efforts continue, DepEd is shifting its focus from rapid relief to long-term preparedness. Among its major initiatives is PlanSmart for Safe Schools, a web-based contingency planning application developed with support from the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the World Bank.

The platform integrates hazard and risk data from the GeoRiskPH system, enabling schools to create evidence-based contingency plans aligned with the standards of the Office of Civil Defense and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. A series of training sessions for the project will begin in November 2025 for 3,012 schools in the Greater Metro Manila area before its nationwide rollout to build the capacity of school heads and DRRM coordinators.

DepEd will also pilot the M7X School Ready Program, an initiative aimed at strengthening earthquake preparedness in public schools and DepEd offices.

Recognizing the imminent threat of a 7.2-magnitude earthquake along the West Valley Fault, the program introduces a certification system that awards the M7.2 Ready School Seal to schools that complete the checklist on both structural safety and non-structural preparedness. The pilot phase will prioritize schools in Metro Manila, Region III, and Region IV-A situated along or near the West Valley Fault.

DepEd also introduced the Pillar 1: Safer Learning Facilities Guidebook, a reference manual promoting resilient design, safe site selection, and maintenance practices in line with the Comprehensive School Safety Framework and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Developed in collaboration with UNICEF and Good Neighbors International Philippines, the guidebook empowers schools to adopt inclusive, climate-resilient, and child-safe construction standards.

To sustain learning in disaster-affected areas, DepEd also rolled out Upgraded Temporary Learning Spaces—improved modular classrooms designed to support continued education while permanent school structures undergo repair or reconstruction.