MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) said the initial cost of damage to schools affected by Typhoon Ompong (Mangkhut) has reached an initial P2.65 billion nearly a week since the onslaught of the deadly typhoon.

Data from DepEd showed 1,115 schools were totally damaged, while 1,804 schools suffered “major damage,” and 4,088 schools had “minor” damage as of Thursday, September 20.

Affected schools were in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Zamboanga, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Metro Manila.

The DepEd estimated costs to be about P1.5 million per school that suffered total damage, P500,000 per school with major damage, and P20,000 per school that had minor damage.

Below is the breakdown of the cost of damage so far in affected schools per region:

CAR – P529.26 million

• Totally damaged – 194 schools at P291 million
• Major damage – 445 schools at P222.5 million
• Minor damage – 788 schools at P15.76 million

Ilocos Region: P549.54 million

• Totally damaged – 228 schools at P342 million
• Major damage – 371 schools at P185.5 million
• Minor damage – 1,102 schools at P22.04 million

Cagayan Valley: P1.44 billion

• Totally damaged – 629 schools at P943.5 million
• Major damage – 911 schools at P455.5 million
• Minor damage – 2,057 schools at P41.14 million

Central Luzon: P89.94 million

• Totally damaged – 44 schools at P66 million
• Major damage – 45 schools at P22.5 million
• Minor damage – 72 schools at P1.44 million

Calabarzon: P18.22 million

• Totally damaged – 10 schools at P15 million
• Major damage – 6 schools at P3 million
• Minor damage – 11 schools at P220,000

Mimaropa: P4.5 million

• Totally damaged – 1 school at P1.5 million
• Major damage – 6 schools at P3 million
• Minor damage – none as of posting

Bicol: P5.58 million

• Totally damaged – 2 schools at P3 million
• Major damage – 5 schools at P2.5 million
• Minor damage – 4 schools at P80,000

Western Visayas: P2.5 million

• Totally damaged – none as of posting
• Major damage – 5 schools at P2.5 million
• Minor damage – none as of posting

Zamboanga: P8.06 million

• Totally damaged – 4 schools at P6 million
• Major damage – 4 schools at P2 million
• Minor damage – 3 schools at P60,000

ARMM: P20,000

• Totally damaged – none as of posting
• Major damage – none as of posting
• Minor damage – 1 school at P20,000

Metro Manila: P8.52 million

• Totally damaged – 3 schools at P4.5 million
• Major damage – 6 schools at P3 million 
• Minor damage – 51 schools at P1.02 million

Apart from this, the DepEd also said some 4,053 computers sets, 63,602 learning materials, and 15,548 pieces of furniture were damaged by Ompong. There were also 667 schools and 44 regional school divisions that suffered “non-infrastructure” damage.

Along with the damage to schools in affected regions, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Officer-in-Charge Prospero de Vera III earlier said the initial cost of damage to state universities and colleges  Ompong was about P428.87 million so far. 

The DepEd said about 15 million students were affected from the typhoon as of September 20, Thursday and that classes ramined suspended in some barangays in CAR and Central Luzon.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said over 1.4 million people have been affected by Ompong. The death toll stood at 95 as of Friday, September 21. – Rappler.com