THE Department of Education (DepEd) reported Wednesday, Oct. 1, that at least 34 classrooms were destroyed and hundreds more sustained varying levels of damage after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck near Bogo City, Cebu, on September 30.
Initial data showed 197 classrooms sustained minor damage, 26 were heavily damaged, and 34 were completely destroyed. Six (6) Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities were also affected.
The quake, which jolted Regions VI, VII, and VIII, potentially impacted more than 16,000 schools across 73 school divisions, DepEd said, citing the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Through its Incident Monitoring and Reporting System, DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) logged 54 initial reports covering 2,220 learners and 97 personnel, though no injuries among students have been confirmed so far.
At least 11 Schools Division Offices (SDOs) reported damaged facilities, including those in Canlaon City, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Iloilo, Bohol, Carcar City, Cebu, Lapu-Lapu City, Toledo City, and Bogo City.
DepEd said the data remains subject to engineering validation as field assessments continue.
It assured that it is coordinating with local governments and disaster response offices to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and school infrastructure, while urging school heads to submit updated reports for faster mobilization of resources.