THE Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) in Cebu City has defended its decision to resume on-site classes, citing that the buildings have been declared safe and that a return to normalcy is essential for the students’ academic progress.
CIT-U Vice President for Academic Affairs Corazon Evangelista-Valencia, in a statement sent to SunStar Cebu on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, explained the decision is necessary for the students’ academic progress and to ensure the continuity of quality education.
The university resumed on-campus classes and examinations from Oct. 20 to 26.
The move raised concerns among students and parents, who questioned the push for in-person learning amid the ongoing aftershocks, emotional distress, and lingering safety fears from the series of earthquakes that hit Cebu.
“We recognize that some may be experiencing fear or trauma, and we aim to help them overcome this trauma by encouraging a return to their normal daily routines,” said Valencia.
“CIT University must strike a healthy balance between safety and students’ learning ... There is a need to gradually rejoin the rest of society in carrying on the never-ending task of nation building,” she added.
Readiness
In a public statement, Mattheus Contreras, a faculty member of CIT-U, expressed support for in-person classes, saying the institution is capable of delivering quality education by actively finding solutions and maintaining safety.
Contreras said face-to-face examinations should proceed because learning must move forward, and suspensions only lead to lost time, opportunities, and wasted resources.
“The reason why exams should be done is simple: We need to move forward,” said Contreras.
“We, teachers, admin, staff, parents and students, are part of the university and any action that we do reflects and affects the institution. Let’s be civil and be respectful,” he added.
Cedric Naranjo, another faculty member from the CIT-U Accountancy Department, said the administration has carefully considered the risks of natural disasters, particularly earthquakes, before proceeding with face-to-face midterm examinations.
Naranjo addressed concerns about financial motives, saying safety is the priority and that the school would incur greater losses if anything unfortunate were to happen.
“The academic and administrative councils made this decision and will for sure hold accountable and responsible for this. We trust them,” said Naranjo.
He added that the school’s Guidance Office is ready to assist students facing mental distress following the disaster.
Midterms
Valencia said students taking midterm examinations are expected to remain on campus, while teachers are instructed to administer special exams to learners directly affected by the earthquake, with approval from the Student Success Office.
As part of its precautionary measures, the university will display an earthquake response video on campus television screens to remind students of the correct actions to take when tremors are felt or observed.
CIT-U also conducts earthquake drills twice a year to raise awareness on proper safety protocols during tremors.
“While we cannot guarantee that no further earthquakes will occur in the coming days, we hope that everyone will learn to manage such situations so that life can continue despite the fear of possible tremors that may occur in our area,” said Valencia. / DPC