Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Jesli Lapus appealed on Monday to private donors, including the DepEd’s partners in its Adopt-A-School Program, to help bring needed resources to public schools that were hit by cyclones “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.”

“With the help of the private sector, we can do more than rebuild devastated schools. We can help bring the lives of our schoolchildren and our teachers back to normalcy, which is our top priority,” Lapus said.

“At this time of crisis, our public schoolchildren really need the support of the community. This is a perfect venue where the private sector can extend their assistance to our schools, and I call on our partners to help us fast-track the delivery of relief goods to affected schools,” he said.

The Adopt-A-School Program is a scheme wherein the private sector can help bring needed resources to public schools. In recognition of their goodwill, donors may avail themselves of 150 percent tax incentive.

The DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office revealed that most schools are in dire need of textbooks, multimedia equipment and instructional materials. Some schools have damaged furniture and leaking roofs.

The DepEd chief also stressed that aside from providing relief goods, donors may also provide manpower and cleaning materials for repairing and sprucing up classrooms and school buildings. They may also help the department replace unserviceable school equipment, or provide the volunteers with food and water for the entire duration of this clean-up drive.

“The partnership between DepEd and the private sector through Adopt-A-School is bayanihan at work in our education system. This can really help our schoolchildren, teachers and their families get through this crisis,” the DepEd chief said.

Donations may be coursed through the DepEd’s Adopt-A-School Program. The DepEd will then refer the donors to public schools that are in need of assistance.

More than 400 private sector individuals and companies have helped the department in the delivery of quality educational services to public schoolchildren since Adopt-A-School was relaunched by Lapus in 2006.

The massive support from the private sector has made Adopt-A-School the department’s second biggest resource generating mechanism next to the approved DepEd budget.

The DepEd earlier estimated that the total cost damages to public schools amounted to almost P1 billion.

The estimated cost accounts for the damaged school properties such as classrooms, textbooks, computers, furniture, and other equipment and school facilities in the different regions affected by the typhoons. These regions include the National Capital Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Regions I, II, III, IV-A, IV-A, and V.

Lapus also ordered school officials to reactivate the Brigada Eskwela program, a school maintenance program usually held one week prior to the opening of classes, to help restore schools damaged by recent floods and the occupation of evacuees.

The program was launched in 2003 with the objective of preparing public schools for the opening of classes.