Classes suspended in Cebu after strong quake

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Several local governments in Cebu suspended in-person classes on Monday to allow the inspection of school buildings, a day after a magnitude 5.1 earthquake shook the province.

In a memorandum to all schools, the Department of Education’s Cebu City Division mandated a shift to modular learning on Monday.

“The adjustment is necessary to allow school authorities to assess any possible damage caused by the earthquake,” the memorandum read.

The city governments of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu, and Cordova town also issued a suspension of in-person classes following the quake.

READ: Magnitude 5.0 earthquake hits Poro, Camotes

The city’s Office of the Building Official (OBO) also inspected local school buildings, including the Abellana National High School, where cracks were found on the walls of some classrooms.

Although these cracks had long existed, the school administration noted that these worsened after Sunday’s earthquake.

Architect Florante Catalan, OBO head, said slight repairs were needed to fix the minor cracks on the walls. They, however, had to thoroughly inspect the columns and beams, which were considered critical parts, said Catalan.

Classes were also suspended in Poro town on Camotes Island, the quake’s epicenter.

According to Yousuf Jan Tawil of the Poro Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, they conducted a damage assessment a few hours after the earthquake hit at 2:53 p.m.

“No reported damage and casualties … [But] damage assessment for the whole municipality of Poro is still ongoing,” Tawil said in a statement.—Nestle Semilla-Dakay