Acting Senate President Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian on Tuesday stressed the need for the immediate reconstruction of damaged schools in areas struck by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao.

In an interview with DZRH, Gatchalian revealed that initial reports from the opening day of classes showed several school buildings were damaged from the earthquake.

“Yesterday was the first day of school, and based on the videos I saw, some schools were damaged. We have to be careful because we cannot put our students’ safety at risk,” Gatchalian said in Filipino.

The senator also noted that authorities are still awaiting an official assessment from the Department of Education (DepEd), particularly in remote areas that may not yet have been reached by government responders.

Along with this, Gatchalian said the government has allocated nearly P80 billion for school building projects to address classroom shortages and infrastructure needs for the victims.

“Funding is not the main problem this year. What is important is that reconstruction funds are used immediately so the education of our children will not be disrupted,” Gatchalian said.

Moreover, Gatchalian added that lawmakers are also studying whether a supplemental budget may be necessary as the government grapples with multiple challenges other than the quake, including rising oil prices and El Niño.