DepEd launches Project LIGTAS+ to shield learners from disasters

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) yesterday launched Project LIGTAS+ or the Learning Institution Geohazard Tracking and Assessment for Safety, an advanced risk intelligence platform designed to shield learners from disruptive cycles of natural disasters.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Project LIGTAS+ delivers real-time, school-specific risk profiles to help communities prepare early, reduce disruptions and prevent vulnerable families from falling deeper into poverty when calamities strike through the use of geospatial analytics, satellite imagery and historical hazard data.

“Education is the most reliable ladder out of poverty. When a disaster strikes, that ladder shouldn’t break,” Angara said.

According to Angara, the platform features an interactive multi-hazard map, school-level risk profiles, flood intelligence powered by satellite synthetic aperture radar data, earthquake impact assessments, volcanic activity monitoring and AI-powered weather forecasts up to 10 days in advance.

It enables decision-makers to move beyond broad assumptions, adopt more context-specific action and give parents peace of mind by ensuring that learners are protected by a system that stays one step ahead of nature’s uncertainty.

“Through Project LIGTAS+, we are fulfilling President Bongbong Marcos’ mandate to use innovation not just for safety, but for stability. We are moving away from guesswork and toward a future where data ensures that no child’s education is washed away by a storm,” Angara added.

For school communities, the platform also offers an alternative to blanket class suspensions by allowing DepEd to identify which specific schools within a locality are at risk and which can safely remain open.

“This precision minimizes the ripple effect of disasters: when schools stay open safely, learners remain on track while parents can maintain their livelihoods,” Angara said.

“Learners stand to benefit from more stable schedules and targeted support, as the platform tracks how local disasters specifically affect academic progress. Teachers and school personnel will gain a safer working environment through early warnings for extreme heat and landslides before they reach critical levels,” he added.