THE 5.1 magnitude earthquake felt in Cebu on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 29, 2024, has prompted diverse responses from local governments, highlighting the need for a unified protocol for class suspensions during seismic events.
Proposal: Urban planner Nigel Paul Villarete, an engineer, proposed a standardized protocol for class suspensions based on earthquake intensity and magnitude to ensure uniform announcements across local government units.
Cebu City
* Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia left class suspension decisions to individual schools’ discretion.
* Garcia tasked on Monday, Sept. 30 the Office of the Building Official (OBO) and the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office to inspect all school buildings within 24 hours.
* OBO head Florante Catalan school engineers should inspect school structures following an earthquake and submit their findings to the OBO. He said these reports should be accompanied by certifications indicating that the school buildings are safe.
* During OBO’s inspection at Abellana National School (ANS) on Osmeña Blvd. on Sept. 30, Catalan noted that no beams or columns were found to have cracked due to the earthquake.
* Some cracks found on some walls at ANS predated the earthquake, according to Cyd Theresa Vito Lao, the school’s disaster risk reduction consultant.
* In the event of new cracks, Catalan said they will assess whether they pose a danger, evaluating the depth and severity of the cracks. He assured that the OBO’s structural engineer and consultant will ensure the public’s safety.
Mandaue City
*Three public schools switched to modular distance learning due to building cracks, while 45 others resumed face-to-face classes after inspections.
* The three schools—Tingub Elementary School, Canduman National High School, and Tabok Elementary School—will continue with modular learning until further notice.
* No citywide suspension of classes was implemented, as no directive was issued by the executive office, according to lawyer Marinel Oro, information officer for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Mandaue City Division.
Lapu-Lapu City
* Mayor Junard Chan suspended all face-to-face classes pending building inspections.
* Classes will resume depending on the outcome of the inspections.
* No damage reports had been received from school heads in the city, according Ronald Ferrer, DepEd Lapu-Lapu City assistant schools division superintendent. This was confirmed by City Engineer Perla Amar.
By the numbers
* 48 public schools in Mandaue City
* 3 schools in Mandaue City switched to modular learning
* 6 inspection teams deployed by Cebu City’s Office of the Building Official
What they’re saying
* Oro: “This is our protocol every time incidents like typhoons or earthquakes occur. We need to check the structural integrity of the school buildings to ensure they are still safe for students to use.”
* Chan: “Our City Engineering team, along with engineering staff from DepEd and the City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office, inspected all buildings to ensure they are safe for use.”
What’s next: Inspection results and final assessments are expected in the coming days, which will determine when and where face-to-face classes can safely resume. / JPS, CAV, DPC