The Department of Education (DepEd) has released P139.4 million in quick response funds (QRF) to fast-track the repair and rehabilitation of schools in Masbate damaged by Severe Tropical Storm Opong last month.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara yesterday said that DepEd accelerated the release of the QRF to immediately deliver help where it is needed.
He said that previously, the process of releasing the QRF took two years to complete.
‘We cannot wait for two years for help to arrive. Once a school is damaged, the action should be fast to mitigate the effects of the calamity to students,’ Angara said.
He said that validation and damage assessments are also ongoing in schools in Cebu and Davao Oriental, which were recently struck by powerful earthquakes.
Angara was in Davao Oriental yesterday to assess the impact of the magnitude 7.4 earthquake and to oversee DepEd’s rapid response operations.
He committed to strengthen DepEd’s internal engineering capacity to support national and local efforts for the quick recovery of affected areas.