PUBLIC schools in Cebu Province that were damaged by the recent earthquake will not be allowed to resume face-to-face classes unless cleared by their respective Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (MDRRMOs).
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Bogo City, northern Cebu, at 9:59 p.m. on September 30, 2025, causing widespread damage across several municipalities.
As of October 5, aftershocks continued and many schools, government buildings, and homes remained unsafe for use.
Cebu Province Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Senen Priscilo Paulin told SunStar Cebu on Friday, October 3, that school administrators, through their district supervisors, had been instructed to coordinate with local DRRM offices before reopening classrooms.
Initial assessments of damaged school buildings have already been submitted by district and school DRRM coordinators, but these reports will still be validated by engineers from the Department of Education (DepEd).
Data from the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) show that at least 50 educational facilities across San Remigio, Daanbantayan, Sogod, Borbon, Bantayan, and Medellin sustained major to partial structural damage.
In the meantime, Paulin said schools that cannot safely reopen are encouraged to shift to alternative learning delivery modes, such as modular or blended learning.
As of Oct. 5, classes at all levels remain suspended in the following local government units until further notice:
1. Carmen
2. Sogod
3. Daanbantayan
4. Bantayan
5. City of Bogo
6. Medellin
7. Tuburan
8. Borbon
9. Catmon
10. San Remigio
In Daanbantayan, authorities recorded 33 totally damaged and 11 partially damaged school buildings. Other structures such as covered courts, daycare centers, and a hospital also sustained cracks or partial collapse.
Nearby San Remigio reported severe damage to at least 26 learning facilities, including the Cebu Technological University–Daanbantayan San Remigio Extension, San Remigio National High School, Tambongon Integrated School, and several daycare centers and elementary schools in Barangays Anapog, Argawanon, Calambua, Victoria, Lambusan, Lawis, Dapdap, and others.
In Medellin, classrooms and other school buildings in several barangays — including Lamintak Norte National High School, Almacen Torrevillas National High School, Antipolo Integrated School, and Caputatan Sur Elementary School — were damaged. Some of these structures were declared unsafe for occupancy pending inspection by provincial engineers.
In Sogod, the Liki Elementary School sustained structural failure in its Grade 1 to 6 classrooms, while a classroom at Liki National High School collapsed.
Borbon also reported damage at Doña Milagros High School and an elementary school, while Bantayan Island schools, including Atop-atop Elementary School and Bantayan Central Elementary School, were among those declared unsafe because of major cracks and spalling concrete. (EHP)