DepEd May Allow Schools to Resume Classes Despite Broad Suspensions

Since Monday, August 3, 2026, several provinces in Northern Luzon have issued class suspensions due to the combined effects of Tropical Depression Luis and the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat).

The inclement weather continued, and so did the class suspensions. By August 5, 2026, Metro Manila and nearby provinces were also affected by heavy rains, this time amid the combined effects of Tropical Storm Maymay and the enhanced southwest monsoon. The national government suspended classes at all levels in Metro Manila and six provinces starting at 3 p.m. that day.

Throughout August, repeated bouts of heavy rain resulted in successive class suspensions across Metro Manila, with some announced by individual LGUs and others covering broader areas.

On August 18, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara said, "In line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to protect learner safety while recovering lost learning time, we need a policy that reflects ground realities.” 

DepEd is proposing updated emergency guidelines that would allow individual schools to resume in-person classes based on their actual safety conditions, even when broader class suspensions remain in effect.

Angara said, “While safety will always remain our non-negotiable priority, we can no longer rely on broad, blanket suspensions where an entire city shuts down even when individual campuses are dry, safe, and ready to teach.”

He also added, “If a school is clear, accessible, and certified safe, our learners should be back in the classroom without delay.”

The proposal was prompted by the continued class suspensions caused by the southwest monsoon or habagat. These suspensions have disrupted the delivery of basic education, resulting in learning losses.

Under the proposed executive order, schools that remain safe or recover quickly from disasters and severe weather may resume face-to-face classes despite a city- or municipality-wide suspension, provided they secure concurrence from the local chief executive and submit documented site-specific safety assessments.

According to Angara, the proposed policy seeks to strike a balance between learner safety and the need to restore lost learning time.

As an example, DepEd cited data showing that 53 out of 180 school days in School Year 2023-2024 were lost due to inclement weather and other non-instructional activities. The figure underscores concerns over shrinking instructional time as DepEd works to protect learning days under the new school calendar.

The proposed policy would update Executive Order No. 66, s. 2012, which established rules on the automatic and localized suspension of classes and work in government offices during weather disturbances and calamities.

It would cover both the suspension and resumption of classes during a broader range of natural and human-induced hazards, including extreme heat, earthquakes, power outages, and poor air quality.

If approved, the policy would allow school heads to initiate the resumption of classes while a city- or municipality-wide suspension is still in effect. The decision would be based on a documented assessment of the school’s condition, with the concurrence of the local chief executive.

On the ground, the policy could work like this: If the city announces class suspensions early in the morning because of inclement weather, but conditions improve later in the day and a school’s location is certified safe from flooding and other hazards, the school may announce the resumption of classes for the afternoon shift.

The proposal would still retain the authority of school heads to suspend in-person classes in cases involving isolated or campus-level hazards, in accordance with DepEd Order No. 22, s. 2024.

The rules would also require verifiable evidence to ensure that decisions are based on objective conditions. Local government and Schools Division Offices would operate under a structured one-hour concurrence period upon receiving a school’s safety assessment. This is intended to ensure that student safety remains the top priority.

DepEd hopes to secure President Marcos’ approval of the proposed executive order before the end of the year.

This new law gives DepEd flexibility in teaching methods.