The Department of Education has issued a new set of emergency learning guidelines that reframe how schools across the country are expected to respond to disasters and crises, placing the safety and well-being of learners and teachers ahead of uninterrupted instruction.

Under Department Order No. 14, s. 2026, schools are now guided by a four-level Learning Continuity Framework designed to match instructional responses with the severity of disruption caused by typhoons, floods, earthquakes, extreme heat, public health emergencies, armed conflict, and other crises.

“Kapag may kalamidad o krisis, unang tanong dapat natin: ligtas ba ang mga bata at guro, at kaya na ba nilang matuto at magturo?” Angara said. 

“Hindi pwedeng pareho ang hinihingi natin sa kanila kapag normal ang sitwasyon at kapag may pinagdadaanan silang panganib, takot, o pagkawala,” he added.

The framework outlines four response levels: Hayo (Continue), where regular classes proceed under safe conditions; Hinay (Ease-in), where instruction is slowed and made flexible amid mild disruptions; Hinga (Check-in), where academic demands are reduced and emphasis is placed on monitoring the mental and physical well-being of learners and staff; and Hinto (Stop), where learning activities are suspended entirely when conditions pose serious risks to safety and basic needs.

DepEd said the system gives school heads, in coordination with division superintendents and local government units, wider authority to make localized decisions — allowing suspensions or adjustments to be applied at the school or even grade level, rather than across entire divisions.

The department said this is intended to prevent unnecessary learning disruption in areas that remain safe while responding more precisely to communities directly affected by emergencies.

To support continuity when formal instruction is disrupted, the guidelines standardize the use of emergency learning tools, including printed and digital modules, learning packets, broadcast-based lessons, home learning kits, and other materials designed to keep education going without overwhelming learners and teachers already dealing with crisis conditions.

The policy also strengthens the use of “EduKahon,” DepEd’s school recovery kit initiative that prepositions essential learning materials for rapid deployment when classrooms are damaged or rendered unusable by disasters.

Schools are likewise required to update continuity plans regularly, map the capacities and needs of learners and personnel, establish emergency communication systems, and conduct orientations for parents and guardians on emergency learning protocols at the start of each school year.

For educators, the order institutionalizes training in trauma-informed teaching and psychological first aid, alongside alternative learning delivery methods tailored for emergency settings. DepEd field offices are also tasked to reinforce mental health support and emergency assistance systems, particularly in high-risk and resource-constrained areas.

The guidelines will cover all public elementary and secondary schools, DepEd-operated community learning centers, and Alternative Learning System providers, while private schools and state and local universities offering basic education are encouraged to adopt the same framework.