Manila: A senator on Thursday emphasized that building climate-resilient school facilities is no longer a choice but a necessity, as the Philippines continues to face frequent natural disasters that threaten students’ safety and disrupt learning.

According to Philippines News Agency, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, in a statement, also called for innovative and collaborative solutions to address the country’s classroom shortage, particularly in disaster-affected areas, urging the government to explore multiple funding sources beyond the national budget.

“As one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, constructing climate-resilient school buildings is no longer an option but a necessity,” he said.

In 2024 alone, 1,855 schools sustained damage from natural calamities, requiring PHP6.6 billion for classroom repairs and PHP5.3 billion for the replacement of 1,846 classrooms, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

Despite increasing its Quick Response Fund (QRF) to PHP3 billion, the budget remains insufficient to restore affected schools. Thus, Gatchalian welcomed DepEd’s partnership with the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center, which aims to accelerate classroom construction.

DepEd’s agreement with the PPP Center is expected to fast-track the construction of 15,000 disaster-resilient classrooms, benefiting 1,600 schools in nine regions. It is also implementing Republic Act 12076, or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, which mandates the construction of permanent evacuation centers to prevent schools from being used as temporary shelters.

Gatchalian also proposed a counterpart program where local government units (LGUs) and the national government share responsibility for building schools, allowing for faster, simultaneous construction of disaster-resilient classrooms.

“We need to explore multiple solutions to ensure our students have safe and sturdy learning spaces. By pursuing these innovations, we can make real progress,” he added.