At least 312 public schools have sustained infrastructure damage in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Uwan, with Bicol and CALABARZON among the hardest-hit regions, the Department of Education (DepEd) reported Monday.

As of the 12 p.m. Situation Report on 10 November from the DepEd Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS), 1,182 classrooms were found to have minor damage, 366 suffered major damage, while 261 were totally destroyed. The numbers are expected to rise as more regional and division offices continue to submit on-ground assessments.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara expressed sympathy and assured affected communities that DepEd is focused on both immediate protection and long-term learning continuity.

“Mabigat ang pinagdadaanan ng ating mga guro, magulang, at mag-aaral sa nagdaang Bagyong Uwan at Tino. Nakikiramay tayo sa ating mga kababayan at tinitiyak namin sa DepEd na kasama ninyo kami sa bawat hakbang ng pagbangon at muling pagbuo ng pag-asa sa bawat silid-aralan,” Angara said.

Bicol, CALABARZON, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) recorded the highest number of damaged classrooms.

Meanwhile, 5,572 classrooms in 1,072 schools across 11 regions are currently being used as evacuation centers to shelter displaced families.

DepEd is working with local disaster response councils for relief coordination and rapid assessments.

To support early recovery, DepEd has identified P20.2 million needed for clearing and clean-up, and P57.9 million for minor repairs. Angara also said the department has prioritized the rollout of Alternative Delivery Modes in schools that cannot immediately resume on-site learning due to damage.

Funds have already been released to regional offices to produce learning packets and lesson guides under the Dynamic Learning Program and other flexible learning setups.

DepEd said verification of damage is ongoing, and safeguarding the welfare of teachers and learners remains its top priority.