President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged the Department of Education to start the 2024-2025 School Year on Monday, July 29, as scheduled.
The President made the call after visiting an evacuation center in San Mateo, Rizal, and inspecting the damages left by Super Typhoon Carina, as well as the southwest monsoon, to the municipality.
"Gawin niyo lahat. Buksan niyo ang pagpasok. Gawin niyo hangga’t maaari kung kaya niyong buksan," President Marcos Jr. told reporters on Friday, July 26.
However, the Chief Executive acknowledged that some schools will have to postpone their opening of classes due to the extent of damage.
President Marcos Jr. said that schools will still have the final say on whether they will start classes on Monday or not.
"As much as possible, hangga’t maaari. If the school buildings are in a condition to take classes, they will do it," President Marcos Jr. said.
"Pero mayroon pa talaga na, kakaunti na lang ‘yung may tubig pero marami nag-iwan ng putik na hindi magamit. Tapos, may mga nasira na gamit, we’ll have to replace them," he added.
President Marcos Jr. even opened the possibility that some schools will conduct classes outside of classrooms.
"Siguro ‘yung iba mapipilitan, they will conduct classes outside of the school building makapag-klase lang. Tingnan natin. Ganyan naman, nasanay na tayo sa pandemic. Hahanapan natin ng paraan para magkaroon pa rin ng pasok," the President said.
The Department of Education already reported that 738 schools cannot start classes on Monday.
Per the report of DepEd, the inclement weather brought by Super Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon damaged 12,866 schools in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and Eastern Visayas.
DepEd also said that a total of 64 schools still house evacuees.
