THE GOVERNMENT should continue to build schools because these are not just places of learning but they double as evacuation centers during calamities, according to Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto.

Recto said at least 1,797 public schools have been utilized as quarantine facilities during the pandemic. This number could grow as 573 schools have been requisitioned in the fight against the coronavirus disease.

“This proves once again that the Department of Education is indeed the Department of Evacuation and the Displaced,” Recto said.

Based on DepEd’s partial count, 874 schools were used as isolation facilities as of October 4, while 924 have been used in the past. The 573 schools will be used as quarantine centers for returning residents or individuals who tested positive for Covid19.

This number does not include facilities of state and city colleges and universities that have been transformed into isolation quarters.

“Pagdating sa sakuna o kalamidad, ang DepEd ang kauna-unahang frontliner agency sa Filipinas. Unang takbuhan ng mga biktima,” Recto said, comparing  classrooms to swiss knives because of their multipurpose in use.

“Doon unang sumisilong ang mga lumilikas mula sa bagyo, baha, lindol, pagsabog ng bulkan at land-slides. They are also the first option refuge for victims of man-made calamities like fires and military-rebel clashes,” he said.

The many uses of classrooms makes it vital for the government to construct more school buildings, the senator said.

“Hindi puwedeng tingnan ang mga ito as places of learning lang. They should also be seen as safe havens for victims of calamities during this time of climate change, when storms are getting more frequent and stronger in a country that is prone to multiple disasters,” he said.

The DepEd said to erase backlogs, 66,493 classrooms must be built but according to Recto, only 5,174 will be funded for construction next year .

About 70,613 classrooms require repair, but the proposed 2021 national budget has funds for only 10,444 classrooms.

Recto had pushed for the construction of more evacuation centers but he said pragmatism dictates that more classrooms should be part of the inventory.

“Ideally, these permanent evacuation centers should be outside our schools, so that students will not be displaced when calamities strike. But the practical side which can’t be ignored is that schools will continue to open their gates to the unfortunate because these are their neighbors, parents and members of the community,” he said.