Gov’t urged to shift away from using schools as evacuation centers

MANILA, Philippines – Across the Philippines, public schools are commonly used as evacuation centers during disasters. But for the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), there should be a shift away from this practice as it contributes to the country’s learning crisis.

EDCOM 2 pointed out that under Republic Act (RA) No. 10821 or the Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act, schools should serve as temporary shelters “only as a last resort and for a strictly limited period.” In reality, however, this often isn’t the case.

“The continued use of classrooms as evacuation centers further compounds learning disruptions…. Many schools then operate in temporary learning spaces…which worsens congestion and lowers instructional quality,” the commission said in its Final Report, released on January 26.

There is already a law mandating the construction of permanent evacuation centers in every city and municipality in the country — RA No. 12076 or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in December 2024. During the ceremonial signing of the law, Marcos had said that schools should not “bear the burden of being makeshift shelters.”

It’s another problem altogether when schools themselves are hit by disasters. Massive floods and damaging winds during severe weather, destructive earthquakes, and volcanic unrest bring more woes to an education system that is already plagued by a chronic shortage of facilities.

Citing data from the Department of Education (DepEd), EDCOM 2 said over 10,700 schools were affected by calamities just from June to October 2025.

In September 2025 alone, more than 7,500 classrooms were damaged in the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu province. This displaced over 19,000 students and nearly 1,000 personnel.

“Disasters are now one of the most disruptive forces shaping the learning environment in the Philippines, repeatedly destroying school infrastructure and interrupting education at scale,” EDCOM 2 said.

In the aftermath of a disaster, students and teachers often make do with temporary spaces that are not conducive to learning.

As it is, the Philippines already faces a shortage of at least 165,443 classrooms, causing congestion and prompting schools to implement multiple shifts per day.

“Analysis shows that while average classroom–to-learner ratios have improved nationally, congestion persists in specific divisions, with some schools accommodating 75 to more than 250 learners per classroom and 2,233 public schools compelled to operate double or even triple shifts to cope with excess demand,” EDCOM 2 said.

Old buildings, lack of engineers

Not all of the existing facilities are in good condition either. EDCOM 2, citing data from the National School Building Inventory, said around a third of school buildings “require major rehabilitation, are unfinished, or are already tagged as condemned or for condemnation.”

A considerable number of school buildings are also old. Out of 330,000 school buildings nationwide, around 123,000 are already more than 25 years old while nearly 24,000 are over 50 years old — corresponding to an estimated 2.5 million aging classrooms. DepEd standards prescribe a 25-year classroom design lifespan.

“Without a substantial ramp-up in replacement and systematic rehabilitation, an increasing share of classrooms will fall into poor condition by 2040…. The result is a growing infrastructure deficit that cannot be addressed through routine repairs alone but instead requires long-term capital planning, faster replacement cycles, and closer alignment with updated national building codes and climate-resilience standards,” EDCOM 2 said.

The commission also pointed out the “alarming” situation within the DepEd when it comes to engineering personnel, with only 169 of 224 divisions having engineer positions.

In addition, “each division receives only one engineer position regardless of scope — whether overseeing 13 schools in San Juan City or 1,275 schools in Leyte.”

This setup “ignores the reality that division engineers must handle complex responsibilities spanning site identification, permit processing, construction monitoring, and compliance verification across all schools in their jurisdiction,” said EDCOM 2.

Alternatives to DPWH

For progress to be made in addressing the classroom shortage, replacing aging school buildings, and making infrastructure resilient to disasters, EDCOM 2 reiterated the need for alternatives to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The DPWH is the agency tasked with building classrooms, but its performance has been dismal. In 2025, only 60 out of the targeted 1,700 classrooms had been finished as the year was about to end — a measly 3.53%.

EDCOM 2’s recommendations include tapping public-private partnerships and allowing local government units (LGUs) to take charge of classroom construction, provided national standards are followed.

In relation to that, the recently passed Senate Bill No. 1482 would authorize LGUs and nongovernment organizations to construct classrooms under the proposed Classroom-Building Acceleration Program. Senators approved this bill on third and final reading last January 26, voting 22-0-0.

EDCOM 2 noted too that “decongestion cannot rely on construction alone.” It called for strengthening voucher and scholarship programs which would enable public school students to transfer to private schools that can accommodate them. – Rappler.com