DepEd-Cebu City to Make 122 Public Schools Disaster-prepared in Brigada Eskwela

The Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu City Division will focus on making the 122 public schools in the city disaster-prepared during the week-long Brigada Eskwela which started Monday, an official said.

DepEd Cebu City Division Schools Superintendent Bianito Dagatan said Brigada Eskwela 2016 or the National Schools Maintenance Week will implement activities that will make schools disaster-prepared, environmentally conscious and ready for the opening of classes on June 13.

“We will have personnel from the City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office go to our 68 elementary and 54 high schools to conduct seminar-workshops for specific measures,” he said.

One of the general instructions for the activity is disaster management in landslide-prone areas, especially with the expected onset of La Niña this October.

“Part of the preparations is a seminar-workshop on La Niña, other than the usual earthquake and fire drills. We want our teachers prepared so that they, too, can train and help their students prepare as well,” he said.

Dagatan, who assumed office last January, said he is yet to identify the landslide-prone schools.

He said specific activities may vary from school to school, depending on their identified priority areas and the level of participation of their stakeholders.

DepEd Cebu City Division tapped different stakeholders, inviting them to participate in schools or send construction materials, instructional materials, school supplies and health and safety kits.

Among these stakeholders are non-government groups, private companies, civic organizations, private individuals and local governments.

The DepEd Cebu City Division is expecting 170,000 public school students from Kindergarten to Grade 11 for this school year.

Brigada Eskwela, which started in 2003, is in support of the Adopt-a-School Law passed in 1998.

Aside from Brigada Eskwela, another preparation for the opening of classes is Oplan Balik Eskwela, which will start from June 6 to 8.

“Our schools will have a school-based in-service training of teachers aimed at preparing them in terms of target-setting or what is expected of them as deliverables, being classroom teachers,” Dagatan said. (PNA) FFC/EB/EBP