The Department of Education (DepEd) has strengthened its coordination with other government agencies to establish a unified and timely guideline for class suspension announcements across the country.

At a recent inter-agency meeting, DepEd moved to develop a uniform national protocol on class suspensions to rationalize suspension procedures and minimize learning loss during calamities. The meeting was attended by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Philippine Science High School, and the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II).

“Gaya ng sabi ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., kailangan nating harapin at paghandaan ang mga hamon ng kalamidad sa edukasyon,” said Education Secretary Sonny Angara.

"Hindi natin kayang pigilan ang bagyo, pero kaya nating paghusayin ang ating paghahanda para maging mabilis, malinaw, at maayos ang mga desisyon kapag kaligtasan at kinabukasan na ng mga bata ang nakataya," Angara added.

Findings from the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) show that every additional day of school closure lowers a Grade 4 student’s achievement by up to 12.4 points in mathematics and 13.9 points in science. The data further suggest that losing just 10 learning days can drop a child’s science score from 500 to below 380.

Meanwhile, EDCOM II data reveal that during school year 2023–2024, the country lost more than 20 school days due to climate-related events, disrupting classes for over 11 million learners, or about 42 percent of the public school population. DepEd said this pattern reflects the worsening impact of the climate crisis on education.

“Our challenge now is to adapt. Disasters will keep coming, but learning should not stop. We need clear, coordinated, and science-based decisions that keep our students both safe and learning," Angara said.

During the meeting, the agencies agreed to develop a DILG advisory template to help local governments issue timely and consistent suspension announcements. They also proposed requiring regional and division offices to report the frequency and impact of suspensions, and to publish official data on lost school days to inform both national and local policy decisions.

DepEd also plans to strengthen its make-up class policy and alternative delivery modes to keep learners engaged when in-person classes are canceled. While modular and online learning options have sustained instruction during disruptions, DepEd noted these cannot fully replace face-to-face learning, especially for younger students who rely on close teacher supervision.

“We understand that safety must always come first,” Angara said. “But we also need to be ready to help students recover from lost time. Our goal is to make every day of learning count, rain or shine,” the DepEd chief added.