DepEd adopts satellite, AI system for school safety during disasters

The Department of Education has launched a new disaster risk system aimed at mapping hazards around schools and guiding decisions on class suspensions.

Project LIGTAS+ (Learning Institution Geohazard Tracking and Assessment for Safety), uses satellite imagery, geospatial data, and historical hazard records to generate risk profiles for individual schools.

“Education is the most reliable ladder out of poverty. When a disaster strikes, that ladder shouldn’t break,” Angara said, adding that the initiative supports the government’s push for more data-driven governance in disaster response.

It is designed to provide officials with more localized information during emergencies such as typhoons, earthquakes, floods, and volcanic activity.

The system includes an interactive hazard map, school-specific risk assessments, flood monitoring using satellite radar data, and forecasts powered by artificial intelligence covering up to 10 days.

Angara said the goal is to move away from blanket suspensions of classes and instead identify which schools are directly affected by a hazard and which can safely continue operations.

Under the system, local education offices can access real-time risk assessments to decide whether individual schools should remain open, rather than implementing citywide or provincewide shutdowns.

DepEd officials said the approach is expected to reduce missed school days, although they acknowledged that implementation will depend on data availability, local conditions, and coordination with disaster agencies.

The platform is currently in pilot use. According to the department’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS), it is already being used in emergency reporting and in the M7X Ready School Program launched in April 2026.

The system is also being developed with the DepEd Education Center for AI Research (ECAIR), which handles data modeling and analytics.

While the department describes the platform as a step toward more targeted disaster response in schools, its effectiveness will depend on how accurately risk assessments translate into on-the-ground conditions during fast-changing weather events.