In-person classes to be suspended if temperature reaches 42 degrees Celsius

National

THE Department of Education (DepEd) is coming up with a “proactive, deliberate and organized” measure to protect learners and personnel against the threat of super El Niño.

“We cannot afford to wait until extreme heat hits before we act. Our plan this year is proactive, deliberate and organized,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in a Philstar report.

Angara signed Department of Education (DepEd) Memorandum 64, Series of 2026, which seeks to keep school environments safe, protect the health of learners and personnel and ensure that learning continues throughout the anticipated dry spell.

“We are making sure our schools are fully prepared to manage heat stress, water shortages and health risks, protecting the safety and well-being of our learners and personnel without unnecessarily sacrificing precious classroom time,” Angara said.

Under the guidelines, physical classes will be suspended when temperatures hit 33 to 41 degrees Celsius, with learners shifting to lighter home-based tasks and health check-ins.

When temperatures range from 27 to 32 degrees Celsius, schools may shorten in-person hours or shift to hybrid and flexible home-based schedules.

Regular face-to-face classes with scheduled hydration breaks may continue when temperatures remain below 27 degrees Celsius.

“Every community experiences weather conditions differently. Through our 4H framework and daily classroom-level monitoring, we are empowering our school heads with the flexibility to adjust hours or shift to modular learning only when local conditions genuinely require it,” Angara said.

The policy will only be lifted once the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration officially announces the end of the El Niño episode.(MyTVCebu)