All schools in Bogo City, northern Cebu are affected by the powerful earthquake.

According to the Bogo City Department of Education (DepEd) Division, all 38 schools in the city sustained major damages during the magnitude 6.9 earthquake.

One teacher was reported among casualties in the quake.

To avoid further disruption of classes, DepEd directs shift to modular learning.

Beginning Friday, October 3, 2025, modules were distributed at Bogo Central 1 Elementary School being used as a command center.

However, answering the modules would not be mandatory upon learners who are apparently reeling from the experience of the deadly quake.

DepEd 7 Director Salustiano Jimenez clarified that DepEd engineers from various offices in the country will help inspect the schools in northern Cebu. Their report will become the basis for a request on funds for the construction of a temporary learning center.

DepEd listed an initial 7,500 classrooms destroyed by the tremor, affecting 19,000 learners.

“Ongoing assessment sa mga schools and we really prioritize safety, so that’s the instruction of PBBM [President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.] and Secretary Sonny [Angara], ang safety gyud sa kabataan. We shifted to ADM [alternative delivery mode] and mao na modular ang atuang gi-implement karon,” Dr. Jimenez said.

Atty. Philip Condor, spokesperson of Bogo City DepEd Division, has confirmed reports on devastated schools.

“Yung initial report nila is visual assessment lang ba ng mga school heads so hindi masyadong technical yung assessment nila, kaya sa initial report nila may dalawang school kami na declared as to principal lang na totally damaged daw yung sa Combado Elementary school at Binabag Elementary School,” Condor said.

CLASSES MAY RESUME IN 30 DAYS IN QUAKE-HIT AREAS

Deped said on Friday, October 1, 2025 that it may take about a month before classes in earthquake-affected areas, including Cebu, can fully resume, as authorities continue to assess the extent of the damage from the deadly tremor, according to a GMA News Online report.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, DepEd Undersecretary for Operations Malcolm Garma said that the timeline for restoring school operations depends largely on how quickly reconstruction can be carried out.

“Ang tantsa mga 30 days talaga bago maka-restore (school operations) depende sa bilis ng construction," he said.

In Bogo City, Cebu, one of the hardest-hit areas, 38 schools are believed to have sustained significant damage. However, aftershocks are delaying inspections and damage assessments.

“Kung sa Bogo City, mayroon tayong 38 schools doon. We are still undergoing assessment kasi hindi natin mapuntahan or hindi maka-assess pa dahil may aftershocks pa roon,” said Garma.

“Definitely, ‘yung 38 (Bogo City) schools natin could have sustained damages talaga,” he added.

Garma noted that recovery efforts may take some time given the severity of the earthquake.

Across all affected areas, including Regions 5, 6, and 7, DepEd has so far recorded around 5,587 classrooms with major damage.

“Yung kabuuan nung lahat ng naapektuhan ng lindol kasama na diyan ‘yung Region 5, 6, 7 at of course 7...sa ngayon, mayroon na tayong naitala na mga 5,587 na classrooms na major damage talaga," he said. 

Some schools are already part of DepEd’s reconstruction program, while others are expected to follow in the next phase of rehabilitation.

“Maaaring ito (damaged classrooms) ay isusunod na sa pagpoprograma natin na gawin,” Garma said.

To keep learning going while repairs are underway, DepEd will shift students to home-based learning, with modules already distributed to local field offices.

“Magho-homebased muna tayo at handa naman ang ating mga field offices. Naka-preposition ‘yung kanilang modules," he noted. 

The earthquake, which struck Cebu and nearby provinces earlier this week, damaged thousands of schools and displaced tens of thousands of students. 

DepEd said safety inspections and damage assessments are still ongoing, and updates on class resumption and rebuilding timelines will be announced in the coming weeks.

On October 2, 2025, DepEd announced that it will roll out modular learning and temporary classrooms to prevent prolonged learning disruptions in northern Cebu.

More than 19,000 students and 950 teachers and non-teaching personnel were affected by the quake.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said their priority is to resume learning as quickly as possible while damaged facilities are being repaired or rebuilt.

(with reports from GMA Integrated News)