SENATOR Bam Aquino has urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to ensure adequate water supplies and strengthen school safety measures as El Niño is expected to intensify in the coming months.

Aquino warned that worsening water shortages could affect students’ access to drinking water and compromise sanitation facilities, particularly in areas already experiencing the effects of the weather phenomenon.

“I know there are already a hundred plus municipalities who have declared an emergency because of El Niño. Are our schools prepared?” Aquino asked.

The senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, stressed the need to ensure sufficient water for school restrooms, canteens and students’ hydration needs.

He also urged Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara to issue a memorandum directing school principals and teachers to prepare for the anticipated weather conditions, including measures to collect and store water for sanitation purposes.

Aquino suggested using buckets, jerry cans and other water-storage containers to help schools maintain adequate supplies during possible shortages.

He emphasized the need to secure safe drinking water, noting that purchasing bottled or potable water could put additional pressure on schools’ maintenance and other operating expenses.

For his part, Angara assured Aquino that classes could be suspended when temperatures reach dangerous levels to protect students from heat-related illnesses, including headaches and nosebleeds.

Angara explained that while local government units generally decide on class suspensions, school officials are also authorized under existing guidelines to suspend classes when conditions reach emergency levels.

Meanwhile, Aquino earlier urged Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian to reconvene the Senate’s Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) Committee to ensure a coordinated government response to the possible impacts of Super El Niño.

Aquino stressed the need for government agencies to implement concrete preparedness measures to protect Filipinos, particularly in education, agriculture, health, food security, livelihoods, small businesses and essential services.