Quake-hit Mindanao Schools Extend Class Suspensions

Classes in public elementary and secondary schools in General Santos City (GenSan), Glan in Sarangani, and Davao Occidental have remained suspended for at least three weeks now since the start of classes on June 8, when a powerful 7.8 earthquake rocked southern Mindanao, officials said. Isagani dela Cruz, GenSan Schools Division superintendent, ordered anew the suspension of face-to-face classes on Monday due to the magnitude 6.5 earthquake that jolted the city and nearby provinces last Friday. The tremor was traced 70 kilometers west of Balut Island in Sarangani town, Davao Occidental. It was felt at Intensity V in GenSan and in the towns of Kiamba, Malapatan, Malungon, and Alabel in Sarangani province; Lake Sebu and Tboli in South Cotabato; and Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat. Dela Cruz said the suspension was necessary to ensure the safety of learners and educators across the city. He directed schools to implement the Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) of learning. “All schools will undergo another structural reassessment following the magnitude 6.5 earthquake last Friday,” he said. As of June 25, the GenSan Schools Division reported that at least 125 public schools in the city were damaged by the June 8 earthquake, affecting 793 classrooms with major or minor damage. In Davao Occidental, Gov. Franklin Bautista ordered the continued implementation of alternative learning modalities due to the continuing earthquakes felt in the province. In a memorandum issued on Saturday, he placed schools in the towns of Malita, Sta. Maria and Don Marcellino are under the Hinay (ease in) level and observe alternative learning modalities (ALMS). Schools in the municipalities of Jose Abad Santos and Sarangani were placed under the Hinto (stop) level, or suspension of academic learning activities until further notice, he added. Davao Occidental is part of Region 11 or Davao Region. In Glan, the hardest-hit town in Sarangani province by the magnitude 7.8 quake, classes in all levels remained suspended since then, Daniel Nocos, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office officer of the day, said by phone. Glans is composed of 31 barangays. Last June 22, dela Cruz also ordered the suspension of classes in GenSan at all levels due to the redeployment of Structural Assessment Teams (SAT) to perform post-earthquake structural reassessments following a strong aftershock recorded earlier. He directed that all classes in public elementary and secondary schools shall be conducted through asynchronous learning until classrooms and other learning spaces have been re-inspected, re-evaluated, and declared safe for occupancy. Dela Cruz advised essential personnel, such as general services staff, who are reporting onsite to wear comfortable attire that allows ease of movement and mobility in case of emergencies, subject to existing standards on decency and appropriateness. The South Cotabato Schools Division Office had already resumed normal face-to-face classes since June 22, while schools with damaged classrooms continue to implement appropriate learning modalities, including blended learning, to ensure uninterrupted learning. In a statement, DepEd Soccsksargen, located in Koronadal City, said that across the region, Schools Division Offices remain committed to balancing learner safety, well-being, and learning continuity as recovery efforts continue. DepEd Soccsksargen reported that at least 1,000 public schools across five regions were affected by the earthquake, with GenSan among the hardest-hit areas. With a report from Bong S. Sarmiento /coa