Typhoon-hit HE institutions hope to reopen mid-January

Higher education institutions in most parts of the typhoon-hit Visayas region of the Philippines, which are currently closed, will reopen on 15 January or as soon as possible after that, according to Patricia Licuanan, head of the Commission on Higher Education, or CHED, of the Philippines.

All higher education institutions in areas affected by typhoon Haiyan were ordered closed on 13 November, when the huge extent of the damage became known. But it is unclear when institutions in the worst hit areas, including Eastern Visayas, can reopen.

The typhoon, also known in the Philippines as Yolanda, hit on 8 November and was one of the strongest ever recorded, killing thousands and displacing tens of thousands of people in Eastern Visayas – including Tacloban city and the islands of Leyte and Samar – and Cebu and Palawan provinces in Central and Western Visayas respectively.

President Benigno Aquino declared a national calamity on 11 November.

Universities hit, rehabilitation plans

The affected areas of Central, Eastern and Western Visayas have over 400 higher education institutions, with more than 600,000 students enrolled.

According to a CHED report issued on 23 November, at least 40 institutions were damaged.

Among the universities badly affected are Aklan State University and Capiz State University, which has major damage to nine of its campuses. Others suffering severe damage are the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College, Leyte Normal University and the Palompon Institute of Technology.

Francis Escudero, a Philippines senator, said last week that Pesos1 billion (US$23 million) of the proposed Pesos15 billion rehabilitation fund under the country’s budget for 2014 would be allocated for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of state universities and colleges, and would be administered by the institutions themselves.

The rehabilitation fund was increased from an initial Pesos10 billion when the extent of the damage became known.

Staying away

Licuanan told local media that institutions in affected areas were directed to resume operations by 15 January 2014, “or as soon thereafter as their capacity to operate has stabilised and been determined to be in the best interests of all concerned stakeholders, and when public safety and security have been assured by competent authorities”.

CHED had ordered the “immediate cessation of operations” at all institutions, public and private, in the affected areas on 13 November.

She said in a memorandum issued later that “no one should be penalised for staying away” after the cessation was ordered. Regional officials should ensure that no students, faculty or staff at affected institutions were “unduly prejudiced in their academic standing, employment benefits or other compensation packages due to them,” Licuanan said.

CHED, whose own regional offices in Tacloban were damaged by the typhoon – the building reportedly has no roof and the lower floors have been occupied by evacuees – had asked for weekly reports on assistance to students and other problems.

This was “to enable CHED’s assessment of the situation on the ground” and to assist with short- and medium-term planning for the rehabilitation of higher education.

But CHED has admitted that information is difficult to gather, as officials are themselves affected by the disaster.

Student cross-enrolment

The higher education commission has been attempting to ensure that students from affected areas are able to continue their studies, despite damage to buildings and infrastructure.

CHED’s Licuanan said in another a memorandum, issued on 20 November, that heads of public and private higher education institutions should help “alleviate the condition of affected students by extending any form of assistance”, in accordance with higher education regulations and the Philippine disaster risk reduction and management act passed in 2010.

These include admitting students transferring from stricken areas who are unable to provide receiving institutions with proper academic records due to institutions not operating normally; waiving tuition and other fees of students unable to continue studies; and extending emergency financial assistance, including water, food and temporary accommodation.

Some universities expecting to cross-enrol transferees from affected areas were looking for ‘foster families’ able to house students. They will be housed temporarily in the university if families cannot be found, institutional leaders said.

Alfredo Pascual, president of the University of the Philippines, or UP – which has 12 campuses around the country – issued a memorandum saying that other campuses of the university should allow students from Tacloban, one of the worst affected areas, to register so that they do not lose a semester.

According to Pascual, UP’s Visayas Tacloban College – UPVTC – campus with 1,543 students, faculty and staff, and its Manila School of Health Sciences in Palo, Leyte, with over 200 students, faculty and staff, were “severely damaged” by the typhoon.

A four-person reconnaissance team was sent by the UP-Visayas Chancellor Rommel Espinosa to Tacloban “to look over the UPVTC campus and bring money for cash advance to UPVTC faculty and staff”, Pascual said.

“UP Los Baños has offered dormitory accommodation and living allowances to at least 100 of those who will cross-register there,” Pascual said. “Still, there is a need to further widen the dissemination of information regarding the cross-registration opportunity for the benefit of UPVTC students.”

University disaster response

The University of the Philippines has in the past played a major role in planning and response during major disasters, including typhoons and floods.

A UP Manila Pahinungod medical team left within 10 days of the disaster to help provide emergency medical assistance at the university’s Palo campus in Leyte. A forensics team from the university was also working with the health department and the International Red Cross in the management of dead bodies in Leyte and Samar.

“We will continue to work with Philippine authorities on the ground to offer the services of our medical, forensics and technical experts in areas that are not covered by other government agencies,” Pascual said.

The university was also preparing to send a technical team of professors of civil engineering, architecture, urban planning and geohazard assessment, led by former dean of architecture Dan Silvestre.

“The team will evaluate the damaged physical infrastructure and facilities of our Tacloban and Palo campuses” and provide guidance for the university’s rehabilitation plan, Pascual said.

“When we rebuild our towns and cities, we can take the opportunity to make them better, smarter, more resilient and more sustainable. We can redesign our communities into places that nurture healthy and creative lives for people.”