Manila: The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Wednesday its requirement of over PHP13 million to address the cleanup and minor repairs of schools affected by Typhoon Tino, known internationally as Kalmaegi.

According to Philippines News Agency, the DepEd Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) reported that 76 schools across Central, Eastern, and Western Visayas, as well as in the Negros Island Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Northern Mindanao, sustained damage due to the typhoon. The department is seeking PHP11.6 million for minor repairs, with each damaged classroom estimated to require PHP49,000.

In addition to repair costs, an extra PHP2.11 million is necessary for cleanup and clearing operations in the affected schools. DepEd Media Relations chief Dennis Legaspi confirmed to the Philippine News Agency that the department plans to utilize its quick response fund (QRF) to expedite the repair and recovery process in the impacted regions.

The DRRMS has documented 64 classrooms as totally damaged, 91 with major damage, and 237 with minor damage. Consequently, class suspensions have been enforced in 20,681 schools across 10 regions, including Bicol, Mimaropa, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Additionally, approximately 522 schools, comprising 2,507 classrooms, are currently serving as evacuation centers for residents displaced by the typhoon’s aftermath.