Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) in DepEd is the education sector’s organized effort to keep learners, personnel, and schools safe from disasters, and to make sure learning continues even when hazards strike.
In the Philippines, DRRM in DepEd is anchored on Republic Act 10121 (Philippine DRRM Act of 2010), which requires all government agencies to institutionalize DRRM in their systems. In response, DepEd first formed a DRRM Core Group and, through DepEd Order No. 50, s. 2011, formally created the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) to promote a “culture of safety” and protect education investments nationwide. This office was later elevated into the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS), which now serves as the focal and coordinating unit for DRRM, Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), and Education in Emergencies (EiE) in DepEd.
To guide implementation in schools and divisions, DepEd issued key policies, especially:
- DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2015 – DRRM Coordination and Information Management Protocol, which clarifies roles and reporting lines of DRRM coordinators at school, division, and regional levels before, during, and after disasters.(Department of Education)
- DepEd Order No. 37, s. 2015 – The Comprehensive DRRM in Basic Education Framework, which sets three main pillars: Safe Learning Facilities, School Disaster Management, and DRR Education, aiming to protect learners and personnel, ensure education continuity, safeguard investments, and strengthen resilience through education.(Department of Education)
Today, DRRM in DepEd is not just about response; it covers prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery, institutionalized through DRRMS and the network of regional, division, and school DRRM coordinators and SDRRM teams, all working to make schools safer and more resilient to natural and human-induced hazards.(Department of Education)
Brief Background
Pursuant to Republic Act No. 10121 or the Philippine DRRM Act of 2010, the Department of Education institutionalized Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) in basic education to protect learners, personnel, and education investments from the impacts of natural and human-induced hazards. This is operationalized through key issuances such as DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2015 (DRRM Coordination and Information Management Protocol) and DepEd Order No. 37, s. 2015 (The Comprehensive DRRM in Basic Education Framework), and through the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS), which leads in empowering schools and offices to ensure safety and learning continuity. (Scribd)
As part of DepEd Region XI – Davao Region, the Schools Division of Davao Oriental, based at the Government Center in Dahican, Mati City, implements this national DRRM framework at the local level across its public elementary and secondary schools. Situated along the eastern seaboard and exposed to multiple hazards, the Division prioritizes risk assessment, preparedness, and education in emergencies through its functional divisions and designated DRRM coordinators in close coordination with LGU DRRM Councils and partners. Division memoranda, programs, and capacity-building activities are aligned with the DepEd DRRMS policies to build a culture of safety and resilience in all schools under the Schools Division of Davao Oriental.
The Schools Division of Davao Oriental (SDO Davao Oriental) is a schools division of the Department of Education–Region XI based in Mati City, Davao Oriental, headed by Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Josephine L. Fadul with an Assistant SDS and functional divisions such as CID and SGOD.(Department of Education)
Its jurisdiction covers the ten municipalities of the Province of Davao Oriental (excluding the independent Schools Division of the City of Mati), after DepEd restored and clarified the division of authority between the provincial division and the city division in line with R.A. 9408 (Mati Cityhood Law).(Philippine News Agency)
Within DepEd’s DRRM framework, SDO Davao Oriental implements DRRM, Climate Change Adaptation, and Education in Emergencies programs through the School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) and the Division DRRM Coordinator, in close coordination with the Provincial and Municipal DRRM Councils and other partners. Division memoranda and advisories regularly mobilize district and school DRRM coordinators for preparedness activities, reporting, and post-disaster actions, especially given the province’s exposure to typhoons, earthquakes, flooding, and landslides along the eastern seaboard.(DepEd Davao Oriental)
DRRM Directory (Partner Agencies/Agencies/Division/District DRRM Coordinators
