The Department of Education has expressed condolences to the family of a teacher from Muntinlupa City who died during a scheduled classroom observation.

In a statement, the DepEd central office said it is mourning the death of Teacher Agnes Buenaflor of Pedro E. Diaz High School in Muntinlupa City.

"We mourn the loss of a dedicated educator and stand in solidarity with the school community during this time of grief," DepEd Chief Media Relations Officer Dennis Legaspi said.

"DepEd, through the Schools Division Office, is closely coordinating with the school and the family to provide immediate assistance, including psychosocial support for affected learners and personnel," he added.

Legaspi said the department is also looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident and appealed to the public to refrain from spreading unverified or speculative information out of respect for the family and those affected.

"DepEd remains committed to transparency, compassion, and the welfare of our teachers and learners," he added.

Meanwhile, teachers’ groups renewed calls for reforms to improve teacher welfare, including calls for livable wages, adequate benefits, and increased funding for education, health, and social services.

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition urged DepEd to urgently review its classroom observation policies, which form part of the teachers’ performance rating system. The group said classroom observations should function as a supportive and developmental tool to improve teaching practice, rather than a punitive or judgmental process that adds to teachers’ stress and workload.

For its part, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines called on DepEd to suspend classroom observations, particularly as teachers have just returned from a short break. The group also urged a review of evaluation systems such as the Results-Based Performance Management System, saying these should be replaced with fair and teacher-centered alternatives.