DepEd has started consulting local government units, education officials, and other stakeholders regarding the proposal. It also covers heavy rainfall, poor air quality, volcanic smog, and other hazards identified through official government advisories.
“When extreme weather or hazards threaten our communities, keeping our learners and teachers safe will always be the top priority. At the same time, we must prevent unnecessary disruptions to education,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.
Automatic Suspension and Resumption
Under the proposed framework, face-to-face classes and onsite work would automatically be suspended once technical thresholds established by national agencies are reached. These may include:
- A heat index of 40°C or higher
- Official heavy-rainfall warnings
- Dangerous air-quality levels
- Volcanic-smog or vog advisories
- Other officially identified environmental hazards
Classes and onsite work may automatically resume once the relevant warning has been lifted and the school has completed the necessary safety inspection.
The proposal could provide clearer guidance for parents, learners, teachers, and school officials, especially in areas where decisions on class suspensions are sometimes announced late or applied inconsistently.
Who Will Decide?
The draft framework introduces a three-level decision-making system.
National government agencies would issue technical advisories that could automatically trigger suspensions. Local chief executives would retain the authority to declare localized suspensions based on conditions in their respective communities. Meanwhile, school heads could recommend school-specific suspensions when hazards are observed on campus.
For public schools, a school-specific or granular suspension would require the concurrence of the Schools Division Superintendent. The resumption of classes following a localized suspension would need the approval of the local chief executive.
Private school heads, meanwhile, may declare school-specific suspensions or resumptions, provided they promptly coordinate with the concerned local government.
Safety Without Stopping Learning
The proposed policy seeks to remove uncertainty during emergencies by providing objective and uniform standards. It could also allow families and schools to prepare earlier instead of waiting for separate announcements from different authorities.
However, suspension of face-to-face classes does not necessarily mean that learning will completely stop. Schools may shift to alternative delivery modes whenever conditions and available resources allow.
For now, the 40°C threshold and the other provisions remain proposals under consultation. Schools, teachers, learners, and parents should continue following existing DepEd guidelines and official announcements from national agencies, local governments, and school authorities until the new policy is finalized and officially issued.
Reviewed by Teachers Click
on
July 30, 2026
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