Angara issues learning guidelines for emergencies

MAKATI CITY — In time for the opening of School Year 2026-2027, Education Secretary Sonny Angara has issued new guidelines to help schools continue teaching and learning before, during, and after emergencies while prioritizing the safety and well-being of learners, teachers, and school personnel.

Under Department of Education Order No. 14 s. 2026, the Guidelines on Learning Continuity in Emergencies provides school heads, division alternative learning system focals, and schools division superintendents with a clearer framework for making immediate and informed decisions when classes are disrupted by typhoons, floods, earthquakes, extreme heat, health crises, violence, armed conflict, and other emergencies.

“When a disaster or crisis strikes, the first question we should ask is: Are the children and teachers safe, and are they still able to learn and teach?” Angara said. “We cannot expect the same from them during normal times as we do when they are facing danger, fear, or loss.”

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Anchored on the principle that well-being is critical to learning and teaching, the policy introduces a levels-based Learning Continuity Framework to guide schools in selecting appropriate learning responses based on the safety, readiness, and condition of learners and teachers.

The four levels are Hayo or Continue, where regular in-person learning proceeds when stakeholders are safe; Hinay or Ease-in, where learning continues at a slower and more flexible pace during mild disruptions; Hinga or Check-in, where academic demands are reduced and well-being checks are prioritized; and Hinto or Stop, where academic learning is halted because safety and basic needs are at risk.

Under this framework, school heads are empowered to closely coordinate with schools division superintendents and local government units (LGUs) to enforce granular, highly localized class suspensions based on actual community conditions. This ensures that decisions are tailored strictly to affected classrooms or specific grade levels, doing away with the usual generic, division-wide “no classes for all” cancellations.

The guidelines also set standards for emergency learning resources and learning experiences, including learning packets, print or digital modules, broadcast materials, family kits, check-in guides, home learning support, and emergency learning kits. These are intended to sustain learning without placing unnecessary pressure on learners and teachers.

The policy works in tandem with EduKahon, which serves as the Department’s standardized school recovery kit for learning continuity during disasters. These specialized, pre-positioned kits contain essential teaching and learning materials tailored to sustain education even when classrooms are inaccessible or damaged.

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Schools are also directed to update their learning and service continuity plans annually before the school year and every term, conduct capability mapping of learners and teachers, establish emergency call trees, and orient parents and guardians on learning continuity during the opening block of the school year under the three-term school calendar.

For teachers, the policy provides for capacity building on trauma-informed teaching, psychological first aid, and learning delivery across different emergency levels. Regional Offices and Schools Division Offices are also directed to support teacher mental health and emergency assistance, especially in high-risk or under-resourced areas.

The issuance complements DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2024, or the Revised Guidelines on Class and Work Suspension in Schools During Disasters and Emergencies. It does not automatically suspend classes or replace regular learning when learners and teachers are safe and ready. Instead, it guides schools on how learning may continue when disruptions occur.

The policy also reflects President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen school preparedness and ensure that learners continue receiving support during emergencies, while protecting the welfare of teachers and school personnel.

Angara emphasized that learning continuity should never come at the expense of safety. “True learning continuity is compassionate — it knows when to move forward, when to slow down, when to check in, and when it is necessary to pause and prioritize safety,” he said.

DepEd said it will support implementation through coordination among concerned central office units, regional offices, schools division offices, and schools, with reporting and monitoring supported by the Education in Emergencies Learning Continuity dashboard.

The guidelines shall apply to all public elementary and secondary schools and DepEd-operated Community Learning Centers, as well as DepEd-recognized ALS providers. Meanwhile, private elementary and secondary schools, private ALS providers, and basic education units of state or local universities and colleges may likewise adopt the guidelines.