ANG PROBINSIYANO Partylist Rep. Alfredo delos Santos filed a bill that seeks to integrate basic medical and disaster preparedness and response in the school curriculum.

In filing House Bill 8980 or the proposed Crisis Education Act, Delos Santos stressed that education does not only include academic learning but other forms of technical knowledge.

“Capacities are needed at the individual, organizational, and institutional levels to withstand emergencies. This includes capacity to develop and implement contigency plans, such as alternative education pathways, to mitigate impacts,” he said in his explanatory note.

With the Covid19 pandemic, there is a need to deepen the knowledge of students on disaster and emergency response, the lawmaker added.

He explained that while there are programs already in place, these need further evaluation, taking into account other forms of disaster and emergency response to be included in the curriculum.

Delos Santos said that the capacities of education stakeholders often need to be strengthened to include adaptive responses for emergencies.

“Integrating data on risks and their impacts into education management and information systems facilitates the design and implementation of crisis-sensitive educational policies and programs, including disaster preparedness plans,” he added.