Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the usual practice of using classrooms as temporary evacuation sites during times of disasters should be stopped.
Briones said the practice often disrupts normal school operations.
“Itinigil na natin ‘yung practice na kung may mga evacuations na gagawin, gamitin ang school buildings tapos ang mga bata ilalagay sa tolda,” Briones said in a television interview.
“Hiningi ko sa Cabinet na ang local governments gagawa sila ng sarili nilang multi-purpose evacuation centers at hindi ‘yung mga eskwelahan nung mga bata,” she added.
Briones, meanwhile, said that classrooms that were affected in recent disasters, including the earthquakes that jolted Luzon and Eastern Visayas, have already undergone repairs.
“Sa Brigada Eskwela tinitingnan ‘yung mga kailangang minor repairs tapos pumapasok din ang DepEd para sa major repairs,” she said.
The recent Brigada Eskwela also focused on the disaster preparedness of schools nationwide.