THE Department of Education (DepEd) Mandaue City will implement updated class suspension guidelines.
The Department said this is to ensure student safety while minimizing learning disruptions during typhoons, earthquakes and emergencies, in line with DepEd Order 22, series of 2024.
The directive, signed by Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Dec. 23 and released on Dec. 27, aims to ensure student and teacher safety while minimizing disruptions to learning.
DepEd Mandaue Superintendent Beanito Dagatan told reporters on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, that under the revised guidelines, classes for preschool are automatically suspended when the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pag-asa) issues a Signal No. 1 warning.
For Signal No. 2, face-to-face classes for preschool, elementary and junior high school will be suspended; however, students must shift to alternative learning methods, such as modular distance learning, performance tasks, projects, or make-up classes.
“Before, if classes were suspended, students were automatically free for the day. But under the new guidelines, only face-to-face classes are suspended and students are expected to continue learning through other means,” Dagatan said in Cebuano.
Under Signal Nos. 3, 4 and 5, both classes and work in all levels are automatically suspended. This ensures student safety while keeping the school calendar on track.
In the case of earthquakes, the response depends on the intensity recorded.
For Intensity V and below, the local government unit (LGU) will determine whether to suspend face-to-face classes and school operations, with the condition that schools implement alternative learning methods, such as modular distance learning, performance tasks, projects, or make-up classes.
However, if the earthquake reaches Intensity VI or higher, classes and work at all levels are automatically suspended.
Before students and school personnel can return, the school head must request an assessment of the school buildings to ensure their safety.
The new policy, which supersedes the 2022 guidelines from DepEd, also provides school heads with enhanced authority to suspend classes due to localized factors like extreme weather, flooding, power outages, or other emergencies that may jeopardize the safety of students and staff.
The new directive also modifies the role of LGUs in suspending classes.
Previously, DepEd Order 37, s. 2022, granted LGUs full authority to declare suspensions during emergencies.
Now, any decision must align with DepEd’s revised protocols.
While suspensions due to typhoons follow automatic guidelines based on Pag-asa’s signal warnings, LGUs retain discretion in cases where there is no official storm signal but weather conditions still pose risks.
“For example, if a storm affects a nearby area but Mandaue itself is not under any signal warning, the mayor can still decide to suspend classes based on the local situation,” Dagatan said.
However, if Pag-asa declares a storm signal, suspensions follow automatically without requiring an LGU announcement.
To prevent learning gaps caused by class suspensions, schools are encouraged to adopt three possible alternatives: online learning, modular learning, or make-up classes.
However, given Mandaue’s situation, Dagatan noted that online or modular learning may not always be feasible.
“It’s not practical to distribute modules when materials could get wet due to flooding. In such cases, the only viable option is make-up classes,” he said.
Schools and parents must agree on whether to hold make-up classes on Saturdays or extend the school year.
Dagatan stressed that following the school calendar is essential to addressing learning gaps.
“We want to ensure that students complete the required school days. The standard academic year is around 200 days, but sometimes it extends beyond 210 to accommodate make-up classes,” he said.
DepEd Mandaue will coordinate closely with the LGU to ensure proper implementation of the revised suspension policies.
With these new guidelines, DepEd Mandaue aims to balance safety and educational continuity, ensuring that despite weather disturbances, students continue learning and remain on track with their studies, said Dagatan. / CAV