Kristine damages 4,061 classrooms, suspends classes in 38,376 schools

Severe Tropical Storm Kristine caused P3.7 billion worth of infrastructure damage to over 38,000 schools nationwide, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

The storm damaged or partially damaged a total of 4,061 classrooms and led to secondary hazards like flooding and landslides in 861 schools.

In-person classes were suspended at 38,376 schools across the country, affecting 19.4 million learners and 786,726 teaching and non-teaching personnel.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized the need for immediate rehabilitation to prevent further learning delays and has set a comprehensive recovery plan in place.

DepEd mobilized rapid response efforts and launched a recovery plan aimed at helping students resume learning without delay, including replacing damaged learning resources and setting up temporary learning spaces.

Angara assured that special emergency leaves are available for affected teachers and non-teaching staff to help them focus on recovery efforts.