Metro Manila, Philippines – Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Monday ordered the deployment of Department of Education (DepEd) engineers to earthquake-hit areas in Mindanao to assess the structural integrity of schools before classes resume.
The move came after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed government agencies to undertake immediate response measures following the powerful earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao and prompted concerns over the safety of public infrastructure, including school buildings.
“Following the President’s directive, we immediately mobilized our engineers in the affected regions, particularly in DepEd Regional Office XII, to inspect school facilities impacted by the earthquake,” Angara said.
He said structural engineers from the DepEd Central Office are also being sent to support regional personnel conducting damage assessments on the ground.
Angara, who was in Cotabato City for the opening of classes and a series of education-related activities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), said initial inspections of classrooms had already begun following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake.
“The safety of our learners, teachers, and school personnel remains our top priority, and we will take all necessary measures to ensure that schools are safe before classes resume,” he said.
The Education chief said he has been closely monitoring developments in affected communities as authorities continue to assess the extent of the damage.
Despite the earthquake, Angara proceeded with scheduled visits in BARMM to oversee preparations for the opening of classes and the rollout of programs aimed at supporting learners and teachers.
During a visit to Notre Dame Village Central Elementary School in Cotabato City, Angara joined BARMM education and health officials in launching initiatives designed to improve learner welfare and school readiness.
“Through this collaboration with our BARMM counterparts, we are ensuring that our learners are fully supported not just academically, but also emotionally, socially, and physically,” Angara said.
He added that the Marcos administration remains committed to creating safer and more inclusive learning environments for students across the country.
Among the initiatives launched was the first-ever YAKAP at Kalinga Caravan in BARMM, a joint undertaking between DepEd and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation that provided free medical consultations, dental services, vision screening and medicines to learners, teachers and parents.
DepEd also highlighted the availability of its Learners TeleSafe Contact Center Helpline, which provides mental health and psychosocial support services and can connect callers requiring crisis intervention to the National Center for Mental Health and BARMM’s telepsychiatry network.
Angara likewise inspected the initial distribution of digital learning devices funded under the World Bank-supported Teacher Effectiveness and Competencies Enhancement Project.
An initial batch of tablets was delivered to Notre Dame Village Central Elementary School as part of a broader effort to distribute thousands of devices across BARMM to support digital learning and improve access to educational resources.
The earthquake response comes as schools nationwide reopen for the new academic year, prompting DepEd to balance disaster response efforts with measures to ensure the safe return of learners to classrooms.
This is a news release from the Department of Education.
