THE Alliance of Concerned Teachers in Davao Region (ACT-Davao) strongly condemns the collapse of the ceiling of a classroom at Lapu-Lapu Elementary School in Agdao District, Davao City, on October 7, 2025. The group said that the incident did not only endanger the pupils’ lives but also the teachers, calling it a direct consequence of government neglect of public school infrastructure.
Infrastructure crisis
"The teacher who instinctively shielded learners from falling debris is a hero, but no educator should have to risk life and limb simply by entering a classroom," ACT Davao Union President Reynaldo Pardillo said in a press statement furnished to SunStar Davao.
"This is not an isolated incident — it is a symptom of systemic abandonment,” Pardillo said.
Pardillo cited DepEd's own data showing 167,000 non-compliant classrooms nationwide as "a time bomb", criticizing the P7.3 billion allocated in the 2025 budget for new classrooms and repairs as "grossly insufficient and more focused on private-public partnership schemes where profit is the priority, not safety."
"Ang priority ng gobyerno ay mali. Bilyun-bilyong piso ang napupunta sa confidential and intelligence funds at vanity projects, samantalang ang ating mga anak ay nag-aaral sa ilalim ng mga bulok na bubong," he stated. "This is not mere negligence—this is criminal indifference to the lives of teachers and learners."
Mental health crisis ignored
ACT is also demanding immediate suspension of the October Health MPRE (Mid-year Performance Review Evaluation) and deployment of psychological support for traumatized teachers and students.
"Our priority should be the children, not administrative compliance," Pardillo said, urging that blended learning must continue as Davao City is in a danger zone, which is expecting aftershocks.
“This traumatic event requires immediate psychological debriefing,” he added.
Pardillo also noted that not only students who are suffering from trauma, but also the teachers.
"Yet DepEd is proceeding with performance evaluations, forcing traumatized educators to undergo assessments instead of receiving the mental health support they desperately need," he said.
ACT's demands: Infrastructure; Immediate hazard pay and full medical assistance for affected teacher and learners; Transparent inspection of all school buildings with results made public; Php 230 billion special fund from Maharlika Wealth Fund savings and confidential funds to retrofit, rebuild, and expand dilapidated schools; and Full implementation of National Building Code and Fire Code with teacher and parent representation.
Mental Health: Immediate suspension of October MPRE, replaced with mandatory paid psychological debriefing; Deployment of licensed psychologists within 72 hours for Critical Incident Stress Debriefing; Ongoing mental health support groups and peer support team training; and Full mental health coverage under PhilHealth and GSIS, including therapy and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.
Trauma-informed school reopening protocols
"We are not against professional development—we are against a system that treats teachers as machines rather than human beings," Pardillo said, adding that mental health is not a just a medical issue but also a class issue.
"Ang psychological debriefing, therapy, at mental health days ay hindi lamang benepisyo — ito ay karapatan ng bawat manggagawa," Pardillo emphasized.
ACT calls on education workers, parents, and youth to join nationally coordinated inspection brigades and bring these demands to Congress in upcoming budget hearings.
Congressional district quick response
A few hours after the incident, the office of Second District Representative Omar Duterte sent a team to inspect the extent of the classroom damage and coordinated support for its repair.
Barry Dingal, staff of Rep. Duterte joined the follow-up investigation conducted by authorities from the Davao City Police Office.
The inspection aimed to determine what assistance the congressman’s office could extend to ensure the safety of students and teachers and to help fast-track budget allocation and repair work.
Also present during the site assessment were School Principal Mrs. Ruby A. Briones, DepEd Engineer Nigel Borja, and barangay officials of Lapu-Lapu, led by Barangay Captain Romeo Evangelista. CEA with PR