According to the Bank’s website, the Project Development Objective is to support a resilient recovery of disaster-affected schools in selected regions. The project will address in the short term the need to recover affected school infrastructure most impacted by tropical cyclones and earthquakes between 2019–2023.

This project will finance the repair, rehabilitation, retrofitting, reconstruction, and site improvements of schools that were severely affected by earthquakes and tropical cyclones in recent years. These interventions will enhance physical learning environments for over 700,000 students, with girls making up half of the beneficiaries.

The project aims to provide intervention in 1,282 schools across sixteen regions in the country.

The environmental risks and impacts of the project mainly relate to building construction and rehabilitation activities; and refurbishing and/or replacing school infrastructure. The proposed civil works ranging from rehabilitation, restoration and reconstruction in 4756 buildings covering 1,282 schools would broadly involve: (a) disposal of building debris such as mortar, bricks, reinforced cement concrete, huge quantities of scrap iron from roofing material i.e. GI sheets and trusses, and considerable scrap wood from building and furniture; (b) site cleaning including jungle clearance, clearing of sewage systems including septic tanks, and disposal of many damaged fixtures; and (c) civil works that would involve major works which could prolong from 9 to 18 months depending on nature of interventions. All the proposed activities will occur within the premises of existing schools, and the size of the schools varies from primary to higher secondary schools, with 25% being large. The overall environmental risk rating is assessed as “Substantial” by considering: (a) key construction-related impacts, though temporary, could be in terms of air, noise, water, and soil pollution. Such impacts could pose health and safety risks to the students and teachers due to exposure, as the schools would continue to run in temporary shelters within the vicinity and the school holiday period would not be sufficient to complete the work; (b) increased risks and impacts associated with sanitation and OHS aspects, as the proposed activities would involve mobilization of labor in the schools and/or in the community. In addition, students' exposure to construction labor and work areas could lead to additional risks. Some of the schools offer vocational courses which have laboratory facilities. Dismantling such facilities could have hazardous material as well; (c) pollution and associated risks within and immediate vicinity of schools could arise in terms of blocking the waterway and drainage patterns with debris, contamination of water bodies due to clearing of sewers and septage, and construction noise which could impair the learning process; (d) occupational and community health and safety risks which could arise due to expected higher exposure to construction activities including movement of heavy vehicles by the students and communities around the schools; and (e) impacts on the terrestrial and aquatic habitats due to disposal of wastes at places where schools are located in forested areas or ecologically sensitive areas, and thereby causing biodiversity risks. The potential CERC-financed activities would be aligned with the main project activities and hence the additional risks are not envisaged. While an exact number of schools located near ecologically important locations is not known, there would be some schools near vulnerable coastal areas and near protected forest areas in rural settings, and thus, the bio-diversity risks cannot be ruled out. Such risks need to be ascertained during initial screening to rule out such risks through exclusion principles. The operational phase impacts would be mostly related to sanitation and hygiene and accident potential at schools located adjacent to highways. In addition, in the case of schools offering vocational courses, the use and disposal of hazardous chemicals could pose risks, though very limited.

The Project is socially significant in rebuilding infrastructure that facilitates the delivery of basic and secondary education programs. It involves substantial civil works that have social risks and impacts. Primarily, the presence of male-dominated construction workers inside school premises could be a risk to children and women. Labor-related risks to the community include gender-based violence (GBV), sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEA/SH), and exposure to communicable and infectious diseases (e.g., resurgence of COVID-19).

A proposed loan in the amount of EUR 466.07 million (US$500 million equivalent).

World Bank

Fernando Ramirez Cortes
Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist

Marilyn Tolosa Martinez
Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist

Janssen Edelweiss Nunes Fernandes Teixeira
Senior Education Specialist

Borrower/Client/Recipient

Republic of the Philippines
Ralph Recto
Secretary of Finance
rgrecto@dof.gov.ph

Implementing Agencies

Department of Education
Epimaco Densing
Undersecretary for School Infrastructure and Facilities
ousif@deped.gov.ph

Department of Public Works and Highways
Emil Sadain
Senior Undersecretary
sadainckmail@yahoo.com

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