SENATOR Bam Aquino has filed a resolution directing the Senate Committee on Basic Education to investigate, in aid of legislation, the readiness of schools and education infrastructure for earthquakes and other natural disasters.

In Senate Resolution 160, Aquino seeks to ensure that schools and education facilities are structurally sound, well-equipped, and adequately prepared to protect students, teachers, and staff during emergencies, while strengthening disaster resilience in the education sector.

Senator Raffy Tulfo stressed that ensuring learning continuity while safeguarding learners, teachers, and school personnel must remain a top government priority, especially amid the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters.

Aquino cited that recent earthquakes have caused significant damage to education infrastructure nationwide.

He also noted data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education showing that natural disasters have severely impacted schools in recent years, with 60,177 classrooms damaged and 76 million learning resources destroyed from 2019 to 2023, and total losses reaching ₱105 billion in school furniture and learning materials from 2015 to 2020.

Aquino said the Department of Education has already developed enhanced tools for hazard-based contingency planning, school certification systems for earthquake preparedness, guidelines for safe and climate-resilient school design, and upgraded temporary learning spaces.