The amount of damage to school buildings caused by the recent magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Manay, Davao Oriental has reached P8.5 billion, the Department of Education said yesterday.
The DepEd disaster risk reduction and management service (DRRMS) said in-person classes remained suspended in most schools affected by the temblor.
‘Alternative learning modes have been implemented across affected schools to ensure learning continuity,’ the DepEd-DRRMS said, noting it has been closely coordinating with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to speed up response operations, assess the extent of damage and identify immediate needs in affected areas.
The DepEd said 2,703 schools were severely damaged by the quake including 1,219 in Davao region, 474 in Caraga, 407 in Central Visayas, 318 in Northern Mindanao, 140 in Negros Island Region, 70 in Eastern Visayas, 45 in Western Visayas and 30 in Soccsksargen.
Other schools recorded minor damage to classrooms and facilities.