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(NAR) VOL. 26 NO. 3/ JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

[ DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2015, June 01, 2015 ]

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT COORDINATION AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL



Adopted: 01 June 2015
Date Filed: 31 July 2015

  1. Pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No. 10121 entitled The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, which mandates all national government agencies to institutionalize policies, structures, coordination mechanisms and programs with continuing budget appropriation on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) from national to local levels and DepEd Order No. 50, s. 2011 entitled Creation of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), which mandates the said office to initiate and spearhead the establishment of mechanisms which prepare, guarantee protection and increase resiliency of the Department of Education (DepEd) constituents in the face of disaster, the DepEd issues the enclosed Coordination and Information Management Protocols for the schools, schools divisions offices (SDOs) and regional offices (ROs) and coordinators to establish the system of coordination and information management and provide guidance to DepEd field offices, schools and DRRM coordinators on their respective roles and functions relative to DRRM implementation.

  2. This Protocol as well as the roles and responsibilities of the DepEd region, schools division and schools, including the DRRM coordinators are being articulated here with the following objectives:

    1. provide guidance to regions and schools divisions, including DRRM coordinators on how to act before, during and after disasters;
    2. capacitate the DRRMO coordinators and other DepEd constituents to disasters and emergencies; and
    3. facilitate immediate and efficient information flow during disasters and emergencies.


  3. The Coordination Protocol provides the basis for and directs which office should respond depending on the extent of a disaster/emergency.

  4. On the other hand, the Information Management Protocol demonstrates the proper flow of data from schools to central office, and vice versa.

  5. The roles and responsibilities of ROs and SDOs in DRRM are guided by the provisions from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Plan 2011-2028 and RA No. 9155 or Governance of Basic Education Act of 2011.

  6. This DepEd Order shall take effect immediately upon approval. All other existing Orders and/or Memoranda inconsistent with this Order are superseded and are therefore deemed rescinded.

  7. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.

(SGD) BR. ARMIN A. LUISTRO FSC
Secretary


(Enclosure to DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2015)

Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Coordination and Information Management Protocols for Schools, Division and Region Offices and Coordinators

I. Rationale

The institutionalization of protocols, roles and responsibilities of specific individuals and offices will facilitate better correspondences. Confusion in who, when and how to carry out specific tasks regarding disaster risk reduction and management will be avoided as the deliverables of DRRM Coordinators and the different offices in the Department of Education (DepEd) from national office to schools are articulated herein.

The deliverables and protocols are based on laws and other national consensus on the subject matter such as the National DRRM Plan, Republic Act (RA) 9155, and Executive Order (EO) 66, s. 2012, among others.

II. Definition of Terms[1]

Disaster – Natural or man-made emergencies that could not be handled by affected communities who experience severe danger and incur loss of lives and properties causing disruption in its social structure and prevention of the fulfillment of all or some of the affected communities’ essential function

Hazard – any phenomenon that has the potential to cause disruption or damage to humans and their environment, e.g. typhoon, flood, fire

Risk – the expected number of lives lost, persons injured, damage to property and disruption of economic activity due to natural phenomenon, and consequently the product of specific risk and elements at risk. “Specific risk” means the expected degree of loss due to a particular phenomenon, e.g. the population, buildings and civil engineering works, economic activities, public services, utilities and infrastructure, etc., at risk in a given area

Risk Assessment/Analysis – a methodology to determine the nature and extent of risk by analyzing potential hazards and evaluating existing conditions of vulnerability that could pose a potential threat or harm to people, property, livelihood and the environment on which they depend

Capacity – quantitative assessment of human and material resources

Emergency – any situation in which the life or well-being of a community will be threatened unless immediate and appropriate action is taken, and which demands an extraordinary response and exceptional measures

III. List of Acronyms

The following acronyms shall be used throughout this Order to mean:

AOR – Area of Responsibility
CO – Central Office
DEDP – Division Education Development Plan
DepEd – Department of Education
DRRM – Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
DRRMO – Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office
EOC – Emergency Operations Center
EXECOM – Executive Committee
RADaR – Rapid Assessment of Damages Report
RD – Regional Director
REDP – Regional Education Development Plan
RO – Regional Office
SDO – Schools Division Office
SDS – Schools Division Superintendent
SIP – School Improvement Plan
TLS – Temporary Learning Spaces


IV. DRRM Roles and Responsibilities

A. DepEd Schools and Offices

  1. Schools

    Schools shall be the primary source of data as DepEd’s frontline service provider to the learners being the primary stakeholders.

    With the leadership of the school heads, herewith is the minimum list of roles and responsibilities that schools should endeavor in order to establish a culture of safety:

    1. Ensure the establishment of an Early Warning System (i.e. bulletin board for weather advisories, bell/siren emergency signal among others);
    2. Conduct an annual student-led risk identification and mapping within and around the school premises to ensure a safe environment that is conducive to teaching and learning;
    3. Maintain close coordination with local DRRM Council on the conduct of preparedness activities and on response needs, among others;
    4. Provide capacity building for teachers, non-teaching staff and learners on DRRM;
    5. Maintain, disseminate, and post relevant and updated emergency hotlines in strategic locations throughout the school;
    6. Posting of safety and preparedness measures and evacuation plans;
    7. Conduct disaster preparedness measures, including but not limited to quarterly multi-hazard drills applicable to the school’s identified hazard such as earthquake, fire and flood;
    8. Maintain the safekeeping of vital school records and learning materials;
    9. Organize school DRRM team to support the implementation of preparedness and response measures;
    10. Ensure the availability of updated baseline education data of the school;
    11. Integrate DRRM in regular school programs and activities and school improvement plan (SIP);
    12. Pre-identify possible Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS) and alternative delivery modes of education;
    13. Monitor the effects of hazards, including the use of the school as evacuation center;
    14. Track all school personnel during disasters and/or emergencies;
    15. Prepare and submit reports on the effects of any hazard;
    16. Ensure implementation of DepEd Order No. 43, s. 2012 or the “ Guidelines on the Implementation of Executive Order No. 66 s. 2012 (Prescribing Rules on the Cancellation or Suspension of Classes and Work in Government Offices Due to Typhoons, Flooding, Other Weather Disturbances, and Calamities)”;
    17. Conduct rapid assessment of damages after every hazard and submit RADaR (See Annex A and B) within 72 hours via SMS;
    18. Facilitate immediate resumption of classes to track learners;
    19. Monitor recovery and rehabilitation interventions being implemented in the school.


  2. Schools Division Office (SDO)

    The SDO shall primarily provide support to and lead the schools in the implementation of DRRM initiatives such as ensuring that alert and warning messages as well as the request for reports and submissions of such are timely communicated.

    With the leadership of the Schools Division Superintendent (SDS), herewith is the minimum list of roles and responsibilities of the SDO in providing support to schools and ensuring the safety of its personnel:

    1. Ensure that all schools and the SDO have established an Early Warning System (i.e. bulletin board for weather advisories, bell/ siren emergency signal, among others);
    2. Spearhead the conduct of an annual student-led risk identification and mapping in all schools;
    3. Maintain close coordination and collaborate with local DRRM Council on the conduct of preparedness activities and on response needs, among others;
    4. Close monitoring of safe site selection and construction of new school buildings;
    5. Provide capacity building for division personnel, school heads, and teachers on DRRM;
    6. Pre-identify possible TLS and alternative delivery modes of education;
    7. Ensure the availability of learning materials that can be used during prolonged class disruptions due to disasters and/ or emergencies;
    8. Maintain and disseminate relevant and updated emergency hotlines to schools and SDO personnel;
    9. Disseminate and implement disaster preparedness measures to schools and SDO, including but not limited to multi-hazard drills;
    10. Organize the SDO DRRM team to support the implementation of DRRM;
    11. Activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) depending on the scale of disaster and/or emergency;
    12. Ensure the availability of updated baseline data of all schools;
    13. Maintain the safekeeping of SDO Personnel records;
    14. Monitor and prepare report on the effects of hazards;
    15. Ensure implementation of DepEd Order No. 43 s. 2012 entitled “ Guidelines on the Implementation of Executive Order No. 66 s. 2012 (Prescribing Rules on the Cancellation of Classes and Work in Government Offices Due to Typhoons, Flooding, Other Weather Disturbances and Calamities)”;
    16. Recommend possible class suspension to the local DRRM Council or to the local chief executive, if necessary;
    17. Monitor the effects of hazard to schools, including those used as evacuation centers;
    18. Ensure tracking of all school heads in the AOR and SDO personnel during disasters and/or emergencies;
    19. Support schools in establishing and managing TLS;
    20. Verify school reports in the online consolidation (tinyurl.com/DepEd- RADaR) of RADaRs submitted by schools to DepEd Central Office (CO) DRRMO;
    21. Spearhead the conduct of detailed assessment of damages;
    22. Prepare for and facilitate possible deployment and provision of resources to affected SDO personnel and schools;
    23. Prepare, implement, and monitor recovery and rehabilitation interventions;
    24. Integrate DRRM in the Division Education Development Plan (DEDP).


  3. Regional Office (RO)

    The RO shall support the divisions in implementing DRRM initiatives such as ensuring that alert and warning messages as well as the request for reports and submissions are timely communicated.

    With the leadership of the Regional Director (RD), herewith is the minimum list of roles and responsibilities of the RO in providing support to divisions and schools and ensuring the safety of RO personnel:

    1. Issue policies on and monitor the implementation of prevention, mitigation and preparedness measures;
    2. Conduct policy research on DRRM implementation;
    3. Maintain close coordination and collaborate with Regional DRRM Council and other partners on the conduct of preparedness activities and on response needs, among others;
    4. Provide capacity building for SDOs and RO personnel on DRRM;
    5. Disseminate and implement disaster preparedness measures to SDOs and RO personnel, including but not limited to multi-hazard drills;
    6. Disseminate, maintain and keep relevant and updated emergency hotlines;
    7. Organize regional DRRM team to support the implementation of  DRRM;
    8. Monitor the effects of hazards such as class suspension, use of schools as evacuation centers, damages on school resources and DepEd personnel casualty;
    9. Track all division key officials and RO personnel during disasters and emergencies;
    10. Validate monitoring reports from SDOs;
    11. Activate and lead the EOC depending on the scale of hazard;
    12. Assist in the conduct of detailed damage and needs assessment;
    13. Prepare for possible deployment and provision of resources to affected divisions;
    14. Monitor implementation of recovery and rehabilitation plans;
    15. Consolidate and validate recovery and rehabilitation plans for submission to DepEd CO DRRMO;
    16. Integrate DRRM in the Regional Education Development Plan  (REDP).


B. DRRM Coordinators at All Levels

  1. School DRRM Coordinator

    The school head may serve as the school DRRM Coordinator but shall appoint an alternate among other school personnel to assist in the implementation of DRRM.

    1. Acknowledge receipt of advisories and reminders from the SDS and/or the SDO DRRM Coordinator;
    2. Spearhead the conduct of multi-hazard drills and other disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness activities in school;
    3. Ensure the conduct of an annual student-led risk identification and mapping;
    4. Communicate notable results of risk assessment and other disaster preparedness activities to the SDO;
    5. Serve as the point person for collaborations and coordination with local DRRM Council and other partner organizations;
    6. Ensure that emergency hotlines are maintained, updated and posted;
    7. Ensure the availability of baseline data of the school;
    8. Spearhead relevant and necessary capacity building activities for the school;
    9. Report to the SDO any hazard affecting the school operations such as flood, conflict, fire among others;
    10. Submit situation reports and provide real-time updates to the SDO;
    11. Accomplish and submit Rapid Assessment of Damages Report  (RADaR) within 72 hours after any hazard or emergency via SMS;
    12. Track and report the progress of recovery and rehabilitation initiatives to the SDO;
    13. Report and update the SDO on the demobilization of evacuation centers in schools;


    2. SDO DRRM Coordinator

    1. Acknowledge the receipt of advisories and reminders from the DepEd Region and Central Offices;
    2. Forward advisories to school heads when applicable;
    3. Monitor the conduct of multi-hazard drills, student-led risk identification and mapping, and other disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness activities in schools;
    4. Serve as the point person for collaborations and coordination with local DRRM Council and other partner organizations;
    5. Initiate education cluster coordination under the supervision of SDS;
    6. Ensure the availability of baseline data of all schools;
    7. Spearhead capacity building activities for SDO personnel, school heads and teachers;
    8. Monitor class suspension and resumption and report such to the RO;
    9. Coordinate the EOC activation under the supervision of the SDS;
    10. Validate school-level situation reports and provide real-time updates to SDS for submission to RO, and DepEd CO DRRMO when necessary;
    11. Verify RADaRs of schools in online consolidation  (tinyurl.com/DepEd-RADaR) submitted to DepEd CO DRRMO;
    12. Participate in the recovery and rehabilitation planning initiatives;
    13. Track and report the progress of recovery and rehabilitation initiatives to RO, and DepEd CO DRRMO when necessary;
    14. Report TLS needs and other assistance needed during and after  disasters/emergencies to RO, and CO DRRMO when necessary;
    15. Report and update RO on the demobilization of schools used as evacuation centers;


  2. RO DRRM Coordinator

    1. Acknowledge receipt of advisories from DepEd CO DRRMO;
    2. Request reports from the SDO DRRM Coordinators regarding implementation of DRRM programs and policies;
    3. Ensure that relevant and/or related DRRM policies are communicated to all the divisions concerned;
    4. Support the creation of relevant and appropriate DRRM policies;
    5. Serve as point person for the RO in Regional DRRM Council and in coordination with other partner organizations under the supervision of RD;
    6. Ensure that the directory of SDO DRRM Coordinators and emergency hotlines are updated;
    7. Initiate inter-cluster coordination under the supervision of RD;
    8. Coordinate the EOC upon activation, under the supervision of the RD;
    9. Regularly update RD on the suspension and resumption of classes in their Area of Responsibility (AOR) before, during and after hazards, or whenever applicable;
    10. Serve as the point person for validation of all reports related to DRRM;
    11. Participate in the conduct of detailed assessment of damages in critical areas and coordinate results to DepEd CO DRRMO;
    12. Monitor and prepare report on the recovery and rehabilitation status of Divisions;


V. DRRM Coordination and Information Management Protocols

  1. Coordination Protocols

    Adapting Section 15: Coordination During Emergencies of RA 10121

    The corresponding DepEd offices based on the following conditions shall activate and lead the EOC in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the effects of any disasters or emergencies:

    1. Two (2) or more schools are affected – SDO
    2. Two (2) or more divisions are affected – RO
    3. Two (2) or more regions are affected – CO direct intervention. However, the CO may and will intervene in cases where the impact is beyond the capacity of the corresponding office and/or as it sees fit, e.g. direct threat to life.


    All reports must still be submitted and coordinated to the DepEd CO DRRMO regardless of the scope of the situation.

    1. Early Warnings

      DepEd CO DRRMO sends warnings, alerts, tracking reminders and other requests for reports to all identified affected regions and divisions. Some of these messages can be forwarded to all schools to facilitate the gathering of reports.

      Upon issuance of an advisory by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and other warning agencies such as PAGASA and PHIVOLCS, the DepEd CO DRRMO will send advisories, alerts and warning messages to all local DepEd key officials of Region and Division as well as the DRRM Coordinators.

      All DRRM Coordinators and DepEd Region and Division key officials should acknowledge and/or respond to the advisories received from DepEd DRRMO.

      Also, the advisories on weather forecasts or any other environmental condition should be forwarded to schools by each DRRM Coordinator to their respective areas of responsibility.

    2. Tracking of local DepEd Key Officials

      During disasters and/or emergencies, all local DepEd key officials are required to report their status to ensure that their safety and local leadership are maintained. This will also guide the necessary provision of support from the immediate governing level. This is particularly crucial in rapid onset hazards such as earthquake and tornado.

      On the other hand, in the event of slow onset hazards such as typhoon and volcanic eruption, all local DepEd key officials in all affected regions and divisions are required to report their whereabouts in the next 2-3 days or the person in charge in case the DepEd key official is outside the AOR and the date of the said official’s return to AOR.

    3. Reporting of Local Disasters and/ or Emergencies and its Effects

      The RD and SDS, or DRRM Coordinators shall submit regular and real-time updates to DepEd CO DRRMO when their AOR is affected by any hazard and during disasters and emergencies.

      DRRM Coordinators shall submit their vetted reports to the immediate higher office (i.e DO, RO and CO, whichever is applicable). In cases wherein the reports should be submitted directly to CO, the immediate higher office should be copy furnished with the same report. All monitoring results are consolidated and processed by the DepEd CO DRRMO for reporting to the Executive Committee (EXECOM).

      Immediate submission and consolidation of reports shall be sent via SMS.


  2. Information Management Protocols

    In the event of any hazard, the DepEd CO DRRMO shall collect from and disseminate consolidated reports to all affected regions, divisions and schools the following information:

    1. Before

      • Hazards advisories and occurrences;
      • Baseline data;
      • Prevention and mitigation measures undertaken;
      • Preparedness measures undertaken;

    2. During and after

      • Personnel affected;
      • Personnel tracking;
      • Learners affected;
      • Schools used as evacuation centers;
      • Class suspension and resumption;
      • Classroom damages;
      • Temporary learning spaces;
      • Other interventions.


    Immediately after the occurrence of any hazard, all affected schools are required to submit the effects in their respective AOR using the RADaR template via SMS. All RADaR should be submitted within 72 hours after any hazard or emergency to facilitate the immediate determination of needs and necessary provision of assistance.

    Divisions whose schools have not incurred damages and were not used as evacuation centers are required to submit a certification of no damages and no schools were used as evacuation centers to expedite the reporting process. The certification will be an assurance that the SDO has contacted ALL their schools and verified that there is no reported damaged classroom, furniture, learning materials and computer, no casualty among school personnel and no school was used as an evacuation center.

    Request for reports and subsequent reminders will be sent to all local DepEd key officials of affected regions and divisions as well as the DRRM Coordinators through SMS.

    Simultaneous to this, #SchoolPatrolPH will be launched to engage the general public in the collection of pictures of damaged schools through the social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

    All submitted reports will be consolidated and reported to DepEd Management, NDRRMC, Education Cluster and affected regions and divisions.

    Upon the completion of RADaR submissions from affected areas, the DepEd CO DRRMO will endorse reported classroom and school furniture damages to Physical Facilities and Schools Engineering Division (PFSED) for detailed assessment, preparation of program of work and fund allocation for repair and reconstruction.

    Meanwhile consolidated report on textbook damages will be forwarded to Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (IMCS) to give them a rough estimate of the number of damaged textbooks in the divisions affected. Simultaneous to this, ALL schools shall prepare detailed listing of damaged textbooks (i.e. titles, number of copies, grade level, among other) for consolidation of the SDO and subsequent submission to the IMCS.

    Lastly, details on the damaged computers will also be prepared by schools after submitting the RADaR to facilitate the validation that will be conducted by the DepEd Technical Service.


VI. Monitoring and Evaluation

Upon the issuance of this Policy, the DRRMO will solicit feedback and document issues and challenges in implementing DRRM from DepEd field offices. Also, policy improvement at the Council level will also require adjustment to this issuance. Given this nature of DRRM, this Policy will be subject to annual review and revision, if necessary.


[1] *Definitions are excerpts from

Department of Education (2008) ‘Disaster Risk Reduction Resource Manual: Safer School Resource Manual’ Philippines : DepEd, UNICEF and Plan Philippines

Other References that support such definitions include:

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2009) UNISDR: Terminology on Disaster Risk Reductions http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology

International Finance Corporation (2010) Disaster and Emergency Preparedness: Guidance for Schools, IFC World Bank
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