EDCOM 2 Pushes for Localized Class Suspension Policies to Reduce Learning Loss

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) is urging the government to adopt a more localized and science-based approach to class suspensions, emphasizing the need to protect students' learning time while ensuring their safety during natural disasters and emergencies.

EDCOM 2 has formally recommended amendments to Executive Order No. 66, series of 2012, which currently outlines the guidelines for suspending and resuming classes during typhoons, floods, and other calamities. The commission believes that the existing system is too broad and often results in unnecessary learning disruptions.

Recent analysis of Department of Education (DepEd) data revealed that schools lost an average of 15 days of instruction per school year due to calamity-related class suspensions during School Years 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. According to EDCOM 2, these repeated interruptions significantly affect students' academic progress and contribute to existing learning gaps.

Among the areas most heavily affected was Negros Occidental, where schools lost 71 days of classes because of the prolonged eruption of Kanlaon Volcano. Canlaon City followed closely, recording 61 lost school days. Meanwhile, Metro Manila's 16 school divisions each lost an average of 15 class days, primarily due to typhoons and the southwest monsoon.

EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee stressed that every missed school day carries a learning cost that cannot easily be recovered through make-up classes or additional instructional hours.
"Every day of disruption has a learning cost. When class suspensions accumulate, the lost learning cannot simply be made up through additional hours or Saturday classes. We need a system that more accurately responds to the conditions on the ground, while keeping the safety of students as our primary consideration," Yee said.

To address the issue, EDCOM 2 proposes replacing the current one-size-fits-all approach with a tiered suspension system. Under the proposed framework, automatic class suspensions would be triggered when nationally established hazard thresholds are reached. Local chief executives would also be empowered to declare localized suspensions based on scientific risk assessments, consultations with schools, and actual conditions within their communities. School heads could likewise suspend classes when safety concerns are specific to their campuses.

The proposed changes would also allow schools to resume classes more quickly once local authorities determine that conditions have become safe, avoiding unnecessarily prolonged closures.

Beyond improving suspension policies, EDCOM 2 emphasized the importance of ensuring continuity in learning during emergencies. The commission noted that a complete shift to online learning remains unrealistic for many students and teachers. Its report showed that only 37 percent of teachers have access to laptops, while just 17 percent of students possess the devices needed for online classes.
Given these limitations, EDCOM 2 recommends the use of alternative learning delivery methods, including printed learning materials, self-learning modules, home-based instruction, and other strategies suited to local circumstances.

"Schools need to be prepared to use different ways of continuing instruction during disruptions, including printed learning materials, modules, home-based learning and other appropriate delivery modes depending on their circumstances," Yee said.

The commission is also advocating for every school to develop an annual learning continuity plan before the start of each academic year. Such plans would identify how instruction can continue during disasters, extreme weather events, and other emergencies that force the suspension of face-to-face classes.

EDCOM 2 noted that DepEd has already introduced measures aimed at reducing learning loss, including its transition to a three-term school calendar and the advance distribution of learning packets to students. These interventions are intended to help ensure that learning can continue even when classes are interrupted.

As the country continues to face frequent natural disasters, EDCOM 2 said it will continue evaluating these initiatives and exploring additional solutions to address learning loss and improve educational outcomes for Filipino students. The commission believes that a more flexible, evidence-based approach to class suspensions can help strike a balance between student safety and the need to maximize learning opportunities.