Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS)

By virtue of Republic Act No. 9155 enacted on Aug. 11, 2001,

the Department of Education, Culture and Sports was renamed the
Department of Education. Its main office is on Meralco Avenue, Pasig
City.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION who is formerly

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND SPORTS (DECS) is a complex
learning organization that develops, promotes, provides and ensures
basic education responsive to the internal, external and emerging
learning needs.
Before
 OPLAN SAGIP ESKWELA- campaign by DEPED and it
primary disaster response and contingency measure to the
effects of Mt. Mayon’s unrest in the province of Albay,
especially in the education cluster. It is an 8-fold approach Secretary Leonor
wherein its focus is to provide assistance to the needs of the Magtolis Briones
affected learners and personnel of the department of
education.
 Department of Education (DepEd) has urged school authorities to reiterate disaster
preparedness measures to minimize risks and ensure learners’ continued access
to education.
 Requires schools to study weather disturbances, their signs, warning systems and
effects and regularly conduct disaster response drills.
 School authorities must strictly observe policies on class suspension in
coordination with the local government units to avoid unnecessary exposure to
danger during inclement weather.
 The Department of Education has come up with a Disaster Risk Reduction
Resource Manual (DRRRM) that is responsive to the needs of the DepEd family
during the occurrence of disasters.
 Creation of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO),
which mandates the said office to initiate and spearhead the establishment of
mechanisms which prepare, guarantee protection and increase resiliency of the
Department of Education (DepEd) constituents in the face of disaster,
 The Department of Education (DepEd) issues the enclosed Comprehensive
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) in Basic Education Framework
to guide DRRM efforts in the basic education sector towards resilience-building in
offices and schools, and to ensure that quality education is continuously provided
and prioritized even during disasters and/or emergencies.
During
  Educates the people of the do’s and don’ts during the eruption or while staying in
evacuation areas
 Serve as the clearinghouse for all DRRM-related transactions including production
and issuance of EiE/DRRM modules, distribution of school kits, and offering of
emergency aid or assistance
 Ensure continuity of education during disasters
After
 Assess what went wrong from the previous eruptions
 Consider what went wrong from before and show how these instances could have
been prevented.
 Conduct of Psychological First Aid (PFA) to learner evacuees
 Support to Basic Information and Communication Operations Link (BICOL) for
response in partnership with DOH5 and OCD5 for immediate reporting and
updating of concerns at the evacuation centers, and the pairing/ twinning scheme
of the non-affected Schools Division Office in Bicol to mobilize resources for the
evacuees.
 Facilitate the immediate resumption of classes among the affected learners of
DepEd in Albay,
 The Department of Education (DepEd) issues this DepEd Order with the enclosed
Guidelines on the Conduct of Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) in the
Education Sector, which aim to assess disaster impacts to education assets,
learners, and personnel.
 Prioritize recovery and reconstruction needs and develop a recovery plan to build
back better in the affected regions and schools divisions.
One of the problems is that, there are times that many of their reminders are not
followed, the DECS or DEPED should be strict on their implementations.

PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY (PIA)

“WHEREAS, there is a need for an agency in government with a

means to communicate with the people, and in turn for the people to
vigorously express their opinions, views and beliefs to the President;
and in the same manner, a need for efficient flow of public information
required by the people to assist them in decision making to improve
overall quality of life”
The PIA's aim is to disseminate information about government
programs, projects, and services to the Filipino public, with the final goal
of seeing the quality of their lives improved and empowered to
participate in the country’s democratic processes.
 The agency is led by a Director General and a Deputy Director General, both of whom
are ranked as Undersecretary and Assistant Secretary, respectively, under the
Presidential Communications Operations Office or PCOO.
The current secretary is Jose Ruperto Martin M. Andanar who was appointed on June
30, 2016 up to this present year.
Before
 Disseminate information about government programs such as its communication
advocacy on disaster risk reduction, the Kapihan ng Mamamayan (KNM)
 Updates the public about anticipated eruption
 Formulates strategic and operational plans in times of volcanic eruption
 Do Information Caravan on Disaster Resilience in different parts of the country.
During
 Update the government agencies who are related to volcanic eruption
 Update the people on possible areas where there are help from government
 Disseminate the strategic plans created to the related agencies.
After
 Evaluates the programs intended before and during volcanic eruptions
 Update the public on the plans of the government about the eruption that
happened.
 Monitor the plans of the agencies regarding the restoration and rehabilitation on
affected area and tell the public.
The agency should be firm and announce news and information that are based on
facts to avoid being criticized by the public, so in case of any natural calamity, they would
be followed and believed in.

MEDIA

The media plays a very important role in disseminating vital information to the
public before, during and after disasters. They are the main disseminators of information
on what is happening in the country.
Before
 Inform the public of an impending eruption.
 Educating the public about volcanic eruption and warning of hazards.
 Gathering and transmitting information about which areas could possibly be
affected.
 Broadcasts the PhiVolcs updates
 Inform public on what to when an eruption happens and harms it could bring.
  Facilitating about disaster preparedness and response for continuous
improvement.
During
 Providing information about sites where medical help is available for the public
 Giving info on impassable roadways and downed utility lines
 Alerting government officials, relief organization and public to specific needs
 Updates the public about the current status of the affected areas
 Updates about the people or residents affected
 Reports the severity and range of eruption
 Update the public on what’s currently happening on the affected area
 Get public help for the affected people such as relief goods and clothes and
financial help.
After
 Report on the death toll and properties that was destroyed
 Update the public on what’s happening in the evacuation area and the people
there.
 Continue helping the affected people by making the area their next charity project.
 Keep the public posted on the current update with the volcano.
One of the problems is that, sometimes there are problems that aren’t televised or
publicized or sometimes there are exaggerated news done just to get higher ratings. This
should not be tolerated especially if the public welfare is involved. Only the facts should
be shown and broadcasted by the media.

Assessment of impacts

1. Property
Damages to agricultural crops reached P185,281,979.00. This was up from P94 million
last January 26.
The provincial agricultural office reported rice plantations covering 5,375.95 hectares
and worth about P160,496,550 was lost. The rice losses affected 5,750 farmers.
The next badly-affected plantations were vegetable plantations covering 958.51
hectares of land and affecting 3,092 farmers.
Corn plantation losses affected 706.25 hectares of land and 773 farmers, while 90.75
hectares of land with fruit bearing trees, affecting 176 farmers was also lost.
2. People
a) Fatality / Mortality: NONE
b) Morbidity: NONE
c) Other effects: NONE
d) Shelter: - N/a
3. Environment impacts
a) On Air Quality-
 Despite the ashfall the blanketed the areas nearby the Mayon Volcano due to it
acting up, according to DENR it has not affected the air quality. But still, the
public is strongly advised to be vigilant and desist from entering the declared
danger zones to minimize risks from sudden explosions, ashfall and landslides.
b) On Water Quality
Due to the Mayon Volcano eruptions, the water in Albay is no longer suitable for
bathing and drinking according to Oscar Dominguez, Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR) regional director in Bicol.
c) Animal or Livestock and Products/Crops
Damaged farms and agricultural lands has now an estimated damaged of 180
million, which means hundreds and thousands of plants, crops, and animals
gone due to the Mayon Volcano Eruption.

Rehabilitation and Reconstruction

From previous eruptions that happened, the Mayon Development Authority was
created and it promoted, enhanced and sustained socio-economic development
surrounding areas of Mount Mayon. What was proposed to be done before could also
be done in the current situation of the affected area. This includes resettlement site for
the residents that was affected, social and livelihood projects for the relocated families,
eco-tourism, reforestation, and parks and wildlife preservation projects.

Your Comments and Recommendations as a future Sanitary

Engineer, do you have any technology? Other
recommendations or plans for those types of disasters or
incidents.
One of the problems that we have is short-sighted designs, which means that
buildings and other critical infrastructures fail because they were not designed to
withstand the force of Mother Nature. Thus, it is important that with the use of today’s
technology, the designs and the materials used must be up to any challenge that nature
could throw, it is possible with the continuous growing of the technology.
References:
http://r5.emb.gov.ph/denr-emb-v-continues-to-monitor-air-and-water-quality-of-affected-
areas-around-mayon/
http://www.manilatimes.net/denr-finds-albay-water-not-safe-mayon-eruptions/381800/
https://www.rappler.com/nation/195520-agricultural-damages-crops-mayon-volcano
https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/eruption-mayon-volcano-displaces-pregnant-
women-and-new-mothers
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/962481/breaking-mayon-volcano-alert-level-phivolcs-
eruption-albay
https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/rehabilitation-begins-philippines-returned-
evacuees
http://technology.inquirer.net/30913/technology-may-help-reduce-impact-of-natural-
disasters
https://philnews.ph/2018/01/30/phivolcs-release-latest-update-mayon-volcano-jan-30/