A total of 114 public schools were identified by the Department of Education (DepEd), Division of Bohol as vulnerable to floods and landslides with the town of Inabanga and Tubigon with the most number of schools listed as flood prone and Loon, Antequera and Clarin at risk of landslides.

According to a list obtained by DYRD Balita, schools in the 3rd district reaching 40 were in great danger of flooding, 22 in the 2nd district and 21 located in the 1st district with 63 classified under elementary schools and 20 secondary schools.

Fourteen public schools in the 1st district were under the category as landslide prone, ten in the 2nd district and seven from the 3rd district with 23 elementary schools and 8 secondary schools at risk.

The DepEd list also contained data on the number of incidents schools experienced flooding with Pinayagan Norte Elementary School in Barangay (village) Pinayagan Norte, Tubigon recording 26 floodings followed by Badiang National High School in Brgy. Badiang, Anda with 24, Francisco L. Adlaon High School in Brgy. Nueva Vida Este, Carmen 18, Cayacay High School in Brgy. Cayacay and Sikatuna National Agricultural High School in Sikatuna with 14.

There were less schools at risk of landslides with Cawayanan Elementary School in Cawayanan, Tubigon with 3 recorded incidents and Nueva Vida Elementary School in Nueva Vida, Loon with two.

Dr. Desiderio Deligero, Chief of the School Governance and Operations Division told DYRD Balita that a school disaster safety plan and massive public awareness are now being set in place in anticipation of a destructive La Nina that is predicted to hit the country at the last quarter of the year.

According to Deligero, damages caused by recurrent floods and landslides in the 114 public schools out of the 1,098 schools has placed school authorities at a heightened level of preparedness to cope with such disasters in the future. (Chito M. Visarra with reports from Rey Tutas)