Philippines orders localized class suspension rules to protect learning time

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed government agencies to accelerate the creation of new rules for weather-related class suspensions to minimize lost instructional time caused by erratic weather and flooding.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has drafted an executive order to establish a more responsive framework. Under this proposal, suspension decisions could be automatic, localized, or granular. DepEd is urging local government units (LGUs) to move away from blanket orders and instead specify the exact municipalities, barangays, or even individual schools affected by hazards.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized that being specific allows schools in unaffected areas to continue learning. The proposed framework aims to improve coordination between local chief executives, disaster risk reduction offices, and education authorities to prevent conflicting announcements from mayors, governors, and DepEd.