Marcos allows schools to suspend classes under new disaster rules
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed an executive order allowing schools to independently suspend in-person classes during disasters and other emergencies, provided the decision is supported by documented safety assessments and coordinated with local authorities.
Executive Order No. 130, signed on 28 October 2026 and made public Tuesday, 3 November, establishes three mechanisms for suspending classes, school activities and on-site work in public and private educational institutions and learning centers.
The order aims to standardize suspension policies while allowing schools and local governments to respond to specific hazards without unnecessarily disrupting education.
Under the automatic suspension mechanism, in-person classes and on-site work will be suspended without a separate declaration when warnings or alerts issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), Department of Environment and Natural Resources or other competent agencies meet prescribed technical thresholds.
In the absence of an automatic suspension, governors and mayors may declare localized suspensions based on documented risk assessments and prevailing conditions.
Local officials must identify the affected areas and duration of the suspension while coordinating with concerned government agencies, barangay officials and school administrators.
Schools given authority
The third mechanism allows individual schools and learning centers to declare granular suspensions when an actual or imminent threat to the safety, health or welfare of learners and personnel is identified.
Such decisions must be supported by documented, site-specific assessments and coordinated with the concerned local government. They apply when no automatic or localized suspension is already in effect.
The order also establishes procedures for resuming in-person classes and on-site work.
Schools may reopen once suspension periods expire or applicable warnings are lifted or downgraded, subject to required safety inspections.
Educational institutions may also request permission to resume classes before a localized suspension expires if they can demonstrate that their premises are safe and obtain the concurrence of the concerned mayor or governor.
The order emphasizes that suspending face-to-face classes does not automatically mean suspending learning.
Schools and learning centers are directed to adopt alternative learning arrangements whenever feasible, consistent with policies issued by the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and Early Childhood Care and Development Council.
DepEd is tasked with leading the implementation of the new framework and issuing detailed guidelines within 30 days of the order's effectivity.
EO 130 updates the class suspension rules under Executive Order No. 66, issued in 2012, as part of efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness while minimizing disruptions to education.