ILOILO City – Following a string of earthquakes across the Visayas, the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6 has ordered all schools to provide “emergency go bags” for both learners and teachers — part of a broader preparedness drive to safeguard the education community from natural disasters.
DepEd Western Visayas information officer Hernani Escullar Jr. said the directive, signed by Assistant Regional Director Cristito Eco, also instructed all division offices to coordinate with their Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) counterparts for the joint validation and assessment of school structures to determine any damage.
“We have received a memorandum requesting our division offices to work with DPWH in assessing the structural integrity of schools,” Escullar said. “This will provide data for prioritizing repair, retrofitting, and construction works if needed. If our budget is not enough, we can lobby support from the central office.”
Alongside the inspection order, divisions were urged to utilize their 2024 Disaster Preparedness Fund and, if necessary, their 2025 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) allocations to supply go bags to all students and personnel.
“Included in our regional memorandum is a request for divisions to use and utilize their DRRM funds to provide emergency go bags for our learners and personnel,” Escullar explained. “The contents of the go bags will depend on the budget of each division and will be determined by their DRRM focal person.”
The initiative is expected to benefit around 954,057 public school learners and 47,000 teaching personnel across the region — a massive logistical effort aimed at ensuring both readiness and resilience during emergencies.
“We understand that there are many learners in our public schools in Western Visayas,” Escullar said. “That’s why we are not imposing strict uniform guidelines for the go bags — it will depend on the divisions’ available resources.”
Divisions, he added, are also encouraged to tap private partners or donors if their DRRM funds are insufficient.
“If the divisions’ budget is not enough, they can coordinate with partners who might be able to donate go bags for learners and personnel,” he said.
DepEd also set an October 17 deadline for the submission of consolidated reports on school building assessments.
“Yes, we have a deadline,” Escullar confirmed. “The reports will be submitted on or before October 17 for consolidation and review.”
While divisions have existing DRRM funds amounting to millions, Escullar clarified that these are also used for school repairs and maintenance after calamities such as typhoons and floods.
“Our divisions have DRRM funds, but their amounts vary,” he said. “Sometimes, these are used for school repairs and maintenance when disasters strike.”
DepEd Region 6 continues to coordinate with the DPWH, local government units, and disaster agencies to ensure the safety of facilities and the preparedness of communities amid Western Visayas’ growing vulnerability to earthquakes and other natural hazards./PN
