A COMPREHENSIVE structural assessment conducted by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office – Mati (CDRRMO) on October 24, 2025, has identified multiple school buildings, government offices, and private establishments in Mati City and surrounding districts as unsafe for occupancy.
Among these, at least 20 school buildings under the Department of Education (DepEd) have been red-tagged due to visible damage or signs of structural instability, mandating the prohibition of their use until further evaluation and retrofitting have been conducted.
Widespread structural tagging
In the recent report, the CDRRMO lists classrooms in Macambol, Mamali, Lawigan, Baso, and Central districts among those flagged.
The catalog includes Macambol Elementary School’s three-classroom old building, Mamali Elementary School, YTAC Elementary School’s Grades 5–6 block, Lawigan Kinder Building, Batiano Elementary School, Lawigan National High School, Francisco Hinayon Elementary School, DepEd Modified CDF/CDE Central I, Asuncion Rondina Perez Elementary School, Central II Elementary School buildings 5, 8, 9 and 10, Pedro Malintad Elementary School (Grades 1–5 building), Don Bosco Training Center’s new admin building, Vicente Almario Sr. Memorial School HE Building, Fausta Salazar Como Memorial School’s feeding centre and buildings 5 & 6, Badas NHS Grade-10 block, Baso Elementary School at Pulang Pantad, Sudlon Elementary School in Banahaw, and Badas Elementary (Grades 3-4 classrooms).
In addition to schools, a number of government facilities were likewise tagged: the Bureau of Fire Protection building, DMM Barangay Hall, the Fishport Market Hall, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) office at the Government Centre, and various child-development and function halls across barangays.
Private sector structures include A57 Convention Centre, PC Collection, and the Techno Park Convention Centre, all of which were found to have potential structural integrity issues.
The red-tagging operation forms part of a continuing post-quake assessment following the twin earthquakes that struck the region on October 10.
Owners or administrators of all tagged buildings have been instructed to coordinate with the City Engineer’s Office for further evaluation and retrofitting. The CDRRMO has advised the public to avoid entering these structures until they are declared safe.
Meanwhile, the city government has pledged to provide temporary learning spaces and alternative offices to ensure minimal disruption to educational services and government operations.
Impact of the October 10 earthquakes
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Manay, Davao Oriental, followed hours later by a magnitude 6.8 tremor, described by seismologists as a “doublet”.
According to the DepEd–Davao Region office, a total of 114,820 learners across nine regions were affected, including approximately 16,000 in Davao Oriental. The same office reported 918 classrooms in the region were totally destroyed, with 3,806 sustaining minor damage and 787 sustaining major damage. Education sector damage is estimated at over P2 billion for 548 schools alone in the region.
In response, rapid structural assessments were launched across school buildings and public facilities before the resumption of in-person classes.
Schools, government operations resume after safety certification
Following the quakes and initial suspension of face-to-face classes, the provincial government of Davao Oriental formally lifted the suspension of in-person classes on October 20.
Governor Nelson Dayanghirang signed Executive Order No. 76, Series 2025, which resumed face-to-face classes at all levels under strict conditions of mandatory structural safety certification for school-site facilities.
The earlier suspension of face-to-face classes was ordered on October 12 to permit structural evaluations. The new EO clarifies that each school must submit a clearance certificate to the local government or DepEd before reopening and that blended learning or alternative delivery modalities must be employed for buildings still undergoing evaluation.
Education’s response
The DepEd-Davao Region highlighted that no face-to-face classes will proceed unless all structures have been inspected and cleared by engineers from DepEd, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and local engineering offices.
Alternative learning modalities — including modular, online, and temporary learning spaces — are being utilized to ensure continuity of education amid damaged infrastructure.
Outlook and ongoing challenges
While the resumption of classes has been approved, the tagging of numerous schools and public buildings emphasizes that the path to full recovery remains complex. The city’s pledge of temporary learning spaces and coordination for retrofits signals an urgent short-term response, but rebuilding major damage — such as the more than 900 destroyed classrooms in the region — will entail substantial investment and time.
Currently, Mati City and the province are moving to restore schooling and governmental services while strict adherence to structural safety certification remains paramount for the protection of students, teachers, staff, and the public. DEF