Teacher aid and school rehabilitation is needed for the Cordillera.
Joel Capulong, president, Alliance of Concerned Teachers Cordillera has called for a release of a P20,000 cash assistance to affected teachers, personnel, and pensioners as well as a swift rehabilitation of damaged school across the region.
“Across the region, classrooms have been flooded, roofs torn off and essential learning equipment/materials destroyed, leaving both teachers and students exposed to unsafe learning environments.”
Capulong said the Department of Education (DepEd) Cordillera, 200 classrooms were reported affected across the region with 16 classrooms totally damaged, 45 suffering major and 123 sustained minor damages due typhoon Uwan over the weekend.
“We urge the immediate establishment of a comprehensive post-disaster response program for education, including: Immediate financial aid and compensation for affected teachers; Transparent distribution of rehabilitation fund; and Long-term infrastructure planning that ensures climate and disaster resilience in all schools,” Capulong said.
In Kalinga, 12 schools were affected by flooding and landslides, including the washed-out classrooms in Lubo, Tanudan. Beyond classrooms, facilities such as Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) installations, chairs, and IT equipment were also destroyed. Several schools and classrooms are now being used as evacuation centers for displaced families.
DepEd Kalinga reported that initially there were 35 schools that sustained varying degrees of damage, while 10 schools were used as evacuation centers. Totally damaged schools include Lubo Elementary School, Ngibat Elementary School, and Butbut Integrated School. Major damages were also reported in Balbalan, Talalang, and Luccong Elementary Schools. In Pinukpuk, Bayaw Elementary School also served as an evacuation center.
ACT Cordillera joins the national call for justice, compensation and accountability for calamity victims. True recovery lies not in mere resilience, but in government action rooted in responsibility.
Capulong said “The government must take accountability for inadequate disaster preparedness and failure to provide sufficient post-disaster rehab support. The repetitive devastation after every calamity must stop. Above all, it must immediately punish corrupt officials that are the direct cause of substandard structures and failed flood control and rocknetting projects that resulted in devastating and life-threatening conditions in our region.” Maria Elena Catajan