President Marcos on Monday, August 24, attributed the severe flooding across parts of the Philippines to a combination of flawed flood control efforts and rainfall he described as without precedent in the nation’s records.
Speaking after he led a situation briefing with local officials from Central Luzon in San Fernando, Pampanga, the President tied the disaster directly to a warming planet. “We need to understand that this is not solely due to issues with the flood control project, but also the torrential rain – levels unprecedented in Philippine history. This is a result of climate change,” he said.
The government’s response, according to Marcos, will begin with the rehabilitation of ruined infrastructure. Beyond that, his administration is weighing major engineering undertakings, among them river dams in Nueva Ecija and an extended dike stretching toward Bataan.
“We have other projects in the pipeline. One long-term plan involves constructing a dike road – we are looking at a route extending all the way to Pilar, Bataan. That is the long-term plan. We are currently studying it. The route spans about a hundred kilometers, so it will take some time, but the study is already underway,” Marcos said.
The human toll in Pampanga alone reached 1.01 million people, the Department of Social Welfare and Development reported, counting those hit by the enhanced southwest monsoon together with tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay, and Neneng.
Schools bore heavy losses. Education Secretary Sonny Angara told the briefing that damage extended to more than 9,597 classrooms nationwide, with Central Luzon absorbing 41 percent of that total. The region logged 3,596 damaged classrooms across 412 schools, disrupting the schooling of 126,584 learners. Pampanga’s 1,689 damaged classrooms led the count, trailed by Bulacan at 933.
To restore learning, the Department of Education pegged its funding requirement at a minimum of P2.604 billion covering 1,616 schools. The larger share, P2.245 billion, would rebuild 898 schools outright, while P359 million would fund substantial repairs at 718 others.
Angara framed the priority in terms of protecting people first. “First and foremost, the marching order of our President Bongbong Marcos is to ensure the safety of our students and teachers, while we minimize disruption to their studies,” he said.
Many campuses have shifted from classrooms to shelters. Nationwide, 1,066 classrooms across 291 schools are housing 9,068 displaced families, with Region 3 accounting for 237 classrooms in 78 schools that shelter 1,951 families.
Angara pointed to the department’s rapid intervention as evidence of its commitment. “That’s why we immediately provided support to our schools—from cleaning to replacing damaged modules. We will not let the education of our youth be interrupted just because of the storm,” he said.
DepEd intends to draw on its Disaster Preparedness and Response Program fund alongside a special budget request submitted to the Department of Budget and Management. A partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment, channeled through its “Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers” program, will supply labor for cleaning and clearing campuses. Replacement of 23,154 ruined self-learning modules is already moving through emergency reprinting and procurement at the regional and division levels.
Learning delivery, meanwhile, is being governed by the department’s “4H” framework, which calibrates instruction to safety and conditions on the ground. In Region 3, particularly Pampanga and Zambales, disruptions stretched to as many as 12 lost instructional days.
DepEd is also seeking to modernize the rules on class cancellations, floating a revised executive order to supersede EO No. 66, s. 2012. Under the proposal, individual campuses deemed safe could resume face-to-face classes even when a citywide suspension is in force, provided they pass safety checks and secure the agreement of local governments.
