ILOILO City – Thousands of learners across Western Visayas were affected as Super Typhoon “Uwan” forced the suspension of in-person classes in more than 3,000 public schools in the region, the Department of Education (DepEd) reported on Monday.
DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) said Western Visayas (Region 6) was among the hardest hit in terms of school suspensions and infrastructure damage, following the widespread flooding and strong winds brought by Uwan. The agency recorded hundreds of classrooms damaged, including those used as evacuation centers for displaced families.
Out of the 34,559 public schools nationwide that suspended classes, Western Visayas accounted for a significant portion, affecting thousands of students and teachers across Iloilo, Capiz, Antique, Aklan, and Negros Occidental. The region also had several schools among the 312 nationwide that sustained physical damage — ranging from 1,182 classrooms with minor damage, 366 with major damage, and 261 totally destroyed.
To aid affected schools, DepEd has set aside P20.2 million for clean-up and clearing operations and P57.9 million for minor repairs, allotting P49,000 per damaged classroom. The department said the assistance will prioritize schools in heavily affected regions, including Western Visayas, where local divisions are already conducting assessments and coordinating with local disaster risk reduction and management offices.
DepEd emphasized that recovery efforts aim to restore learning continuity while ensuring the safety and well-being of both students and personnel.
“We are working closely with our regional and local offices to rehabilitate damaged schools and resume classes as soon as conditions permit,” the agency said.
While Typhoon Uwan has weakened over the West Philippine Sea, authorities remain on alert as many parts of the Visayas continue to deal with its aftermath, particularly the displacement of families and the rehabilitation of classrooms used as evacuation centers./PN
