The Department of Education (DepEd) has officially unveiled Project LIGTAS+, a cutting-edge disaster risk intelligence platform designed to minimize educational disruptions by providing schools with real-time data on natural hazards.
Short for Learning Institution Geohazard Tracking and Assessment for Safety, the system integrates artificial intelligence, geospatial analytics, and satellite imagery to generate school-specific risk profiles across the country.
The initiative aims to empower local education officials to make data-driven decisions during typhoons, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic activity.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized that the platform is a critical tool in maintaining the continuity of learning, even in a disaster-prone nation.
“Education is the most reliable ladder out of poverty. When a disaster strikes, that ladder shouldn’t break,” Angara said.
The platform boasts a sophisticated suite of features, including 10-day AI-powered weather forecasts and flood monitoring via Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data.
By pinpointing which specific campuses are in danger, DepEd hopes to move away from broad “blanket” class suspensions, allowing schools in safe zones to remain open while focusing emergency resources on those directly in the path of a calamity.
Beyond immediate response, Project LIGTAS+ will track how disasters impact academic performance, helping the department deploy targeted interventions for affected students.
The system is currently in its pilot phase, supporting the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service and the M7X Ready School Program in mapping out infrastructure needs and hazard mitigation.
According to the DepEd Education Center for AI Research, the platform provides regional offices with the evidence-based intelligence necessary to fortify school safety and streamline emergency operations nationwide.