Schools must be ready for calamities, DepEd's Angara says

Schools must be ready to respond to any eventualities brought by calamities, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Monday, as the opening of classes was disrupted in Cotabato City, Maguindanao del Norte, following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao.

“Nagkataon nga na na-welcome tayo ng lindol dito, but ganun naman talaga, dapat lagi tayong handa, at sabi ko sa mga teachers and principal na huwag kalimutan na tayo ang pangalawang magulang ng ating mga bata,” said Angara, who visited the Notre Dame Village Central Elementary School.

(It so happened that we were welcomed by an earthquake here, but that’s exactly why we should always be prepared. I reminded teachers and the principal that we are like second parents to our children.)

“So I’m happy na mabilis naman yung pag-evacuate ng mga eskwelahan at pag-uwi ng mga bata, although may mga nakita akong a few children na nandito pa, pero ok lang naman kasi bahagi yun yan eh dapat handa,” he added.

(So I’m happy that we have a prompt evacuation, and the children went home early. Although I saw a few children who were still here, it’s okay because that’s part of it; we should always be prepared.)

A tsunami warning was raised after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit offshore Sarangani on Monday morning, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

PHIVOLCS said the earthquake was recorded at magnitude 7 with a depth of 10 kilometers, but it was upgraded to 7.8 with a depth of 33 kilometers.

In a statement, Angara said DepEd deployed engineers in the affected regions to inspect school facilities affected by the earthquake.

He added that he is closely monitoring developments in affected areas.

“The safety of our learners, teachers, and school personnel remains our top priority, and we will take all necessary measures to ensure that schools are safe before classes resume,” Angara said.

In an update, OCD deputy spokesperson Diego Mariano said reports of casualties were being monitored and validated.

“However, no official reports as of reporting time,” he said.

The most affected regions were Soccsksargen, Davao Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Evacuations are ongoing in affected coastal areas.

The DepEd has so far logged 26 million enrollees for School Year 2026-2027 and is expecting more students to enroll once classes open on June 8.

The agency is expecting approximately 26.4 million enrollees for School Year 2026-2027, which is about the same as last year's figure. — RSJ, GMA News