Disaster management concepts to be taught in Cebu schools

CEBU CITY – The Department of Education (DepEd) in Central Visayas will integrate disaster risk reduction management (DRRM) concepts and activities in the curriculum of 10 pilot schools in Cebu in partnership with SEEDS Asia, a Japan-based organization.

The regional DepEd’s DRRM officer, Dr. Theron Abel Aranas, told Manila Bulletin that SEEDS Asia made a commitment in 2014 after seeing the lack of resiliency in schools and its surrounding communities during disasters and calamities.

SEEDS Asia Philippines representative Yo Kunieda said the organization is committed to support people in the Asia Pacific Region in building safer and resilient communities through disaster risk reduction education or DRRE.

“This is our third project in the Philippines but the first for Cebu province. It is a comprehensive management tool for disaster preparation, management and education within public school campuses,” Kunieda said.

Aranas said that disaster preparedness, mitigation, management are incorporated in Math, Geometry and other subjects where the students are trained to calculate, think and decide on how to respond to certain calamities and reduce risks of disasters.

“We are trying to balance everything, putting all DRRM concepts in students’ minds. There is a need to change our culture in terms of disaster management. We have a long way to go. We need to instill discipline and improved on the Bayanihan system, especially in schools,” Aranas said.

SEEDS Asia local project manager, Kathleen Almonte, said recently that SEEDS Asia has identified 10 pilot schools in the cities Bogo, Carcar, Cebu, Danao, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Naga, Talisay and Toledo, and Cebu province’s Daanbantayan district.

These schools have been provided with teacher/student kits and information, education and communication (IEC) materials designed to enhance awareness on disaster preparedness, response and overall DRR management, Almonte said.

DRRE will be taught from kindergarten to Grade 10, she said.

Teachers will be given training manuals on checking and determining the structural safety of school buildings, and recognizing and responding to disaster scenarios.

“When these teachers and students are trained they indirectly involved the 10 local government units, 10 barangays where the pilot schools are located. Their respective local officials and members of the parents/teachers’ association (PTCA) benefit of the training and simulations that are conducted in those pilot schools,” Almonte said.

Aranas said the DRRE program has fund support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“We are expected to set up a system at the DepEd RO7 for promoting DRR education in cooperation with local communities; create practical models for DRR education; trained teachers to apply the models, and the sharing of knowledge on DRR education in local communities nationwide.,” je said.