The Brigada Eskwela of the Department of Education (DepEd) started its program on Monday, May 19, 2014 in various schools nationwide. The Annual School Maintenance Week program of DepEd, is considered as one of the most successful project of the Department of Education for the past few years.
DepEd (Photo: PhilStar)
During the opening of the Brigada Eskwela, DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro stated that “Getting our schools ready for the start of cl(–foul word(s) removed–) in June requires a lot of manpower. Every Filipino can contribute in helping create clean and resilient learning environments for our learners,” DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro said.
The DepEd also noted that the official start of cl(–foul word(s) removed–) for the Academic Year 2014-2015 will begin on Monday, June 2, 2014. The Brigada Eskwela is an initiative by the DepEd to bring together the school officials, parents, students, and private organizations in an effort to clean and repair schools in time for enrollment and start of cl(–foul word(s) removed–).
Aside from repairing and cleaning of classrooms, the Brigada Eskwela also aims to maintains disaster preparedness principles in various schools nationwide. DepEd also reported that the Brigada Program in the Eastern Visayas, the worst-hit areas by supertyphoon Yolanda, began their preparations with the Korean government turning over several classrooms and an office building to DepEd.
According to reports, a total of 91 school rooms in 10 schools from the municipalities of Palo, Tanauan, and Tolosa were turned over by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Republic of Korea Army-Araw Contingent. The Korean Army also restored the National Educators Academy of the Philippines-Regional Educational Learning Center facility in Region VIII.
The Department of Education also noted through Undersecretary for Regional Operations Rizalino Rivera, that the goal of DepEd is to make the schools disaster-ready and resilient.