SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian has urged the Department of Education to fast-track the repair of classrooms damaged by Typhoon Opong, emphasizing the need to prioritize those that can be restored quickly.

“I urge the Department of Education to work closely with our local government units to immediately repair classrooms damaged by Typhoon Opong,” Gatchalian said.

He noted that of the 1,370 affected classrooms, 891 require only minor repairs and should be prioritized so students can use them again at the soonest possible time.

The senator also underscored the importance of long-term resilience in school infrastructure.

“Moving forward, we must ensure that school buildings are built to withstand calamities such as typhoons. If we fail to construct resilient classrooms, every disaster will only worsen our existing shortage,” he warned.

Gatchalian stressed that addressing the shortage alone is not enough.

“We must also make sure that the classrooms we build are durable and resilient for our learners,” he added.