DepEd boosts disaster preparedness with P3.77B in 2026 budget

The Department of Education (DepEd) is strengthening its disaster preparedness and response program in the proposed 2026 budget, in line with the government’s push for safer, more inclusive, and climate-resilient public schools.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the enhanced allocation comes at a critical moment, as the Philippines endured another punishing year of hazards, including over 20 typhoons and several significant earthquakes. These events forced widespread class suspensions and added to the growing number of school structures needing repair or reinforcement.

Under the Senate version of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill, DepEd’s Disaster Preparedness and Response Program (DPRP) is set at P3.77 billion, a 466.9 percent increase from P665.32 million in the 2026 National Expenditure Program.

The fund is intended to bolster emergency readiness and fast-track school repairs in disaster-hit areas. The amount is not yet final and remains subject to bicameral approval by the House of Representatives and the Senate.

DepEd said the proposed budget builds on a suite of disaster-mitigating reforms already in motion. The agency recently adopted the PlanSmart for Safe Schools web application to strengthen evidence-based contingency planning, rolled out the M7X School Ready Program, which certifies earthquake-ready schools along the West Valley Fault, and issued the Safer Learning Facilities Guidebook to promote resilient and child-safe school design.

To support learning continuity in disaster-affected communities, DepEd expanded the Dynamic Learning Program and EduKahon kits to help schools recover instructional time. The department is likewise preparing to deploy Learning Continuity Spaces—prefabricated modular structures designed for rapid setup—to disaster-hit provinces such as Masbate, ensuring classes can continue while damaged classrooms undergo repair.

DepEd is also banking on a major investment in the Infrastructure for Safer and Resilient Schools (ISRS) Project, funded at P9.39 billion. The program targets the resilient recovery of disaster-hit schools by rebuilding structures that can withstand stronger typhoons, flooding, and seismic activity. More than 4,700 school buildings and over 13,000 classrooms—benefiting at least 740,000 learners—are programmed for upgrades.

DepEd said the ISRS Project, implemented in collaboration with the World Bank, is designed not only to repair damage but to ensure that rehabilitated schools perform better in future emergencies by providing the structural resilience needed to break the cycle of yearly damage.

Both the DPRP allocation and the ISRS budget will be finalized after the bicameral conference committee reconciles the House and Senate versions of the 2026 national budget.