Most Central Mindanao public schools resume classes after June 8 quake

MANILA, Philippines — Most public schools in Central Mindanao were cleared to resume classes as government agencies pressed repair and rehabilitation efforts after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8, the Department of Education said on Friday.

In a statement, DepEd said schools in Cotabato, Kidapawan, Koronadal, Tacurong, and Sultan Kudarat shifted to the “Hayo” (Continue) phase under its Learning Continuity in Emergencies framework on June 15, allowing learning activities to resume once conditions are deemed safe.

READ: DepEd OKs class resumption in most of Mindanao quake-hit public schools

However, schools in General Santos City and Sarangani remain under the “Hinto” (Stop) phase until further notice as recovery efforts continue.

The earthquake resulted in 79 deaths, 1,339 injuries, and 30 missing persons, with the highest fatalities recorded in Sarangani and South Cotabato, according to the Office of Civil Defense of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Over 82,700 homes were damaged or destroyed, affecting more than 176,000 families, while significant infrastructure damage occurred in General Santos City, disaster officials added.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the agency’s response remains anchored in safety, readiness, and the well-being of learners and school personnel.

“In situations like this… the question is not only when classes can resume. More importantly, we must ensure that schools are safe, learners and teachers are ready, and support systems are in place,” Angara said in a statement.

Safe already

“Structural safety, learning continuity and psychosocial support must go hand in hand to ensure that schools can recover properly,” he added.

Following the quake, DepEd reported damage in 1,396 schools in the region, including 1,950 classrooms that were totally destroyed, 2,098 with major damage, and 6,065 with minor damage.

Based on its monitoring as of June 16, the earthquake affected 142,821 learners and 7,406 personnel across 39 Schools Division Offices involved in the response.

DepEd said classes remained suspended in 2,342 schools, while 6,748 schools already resumed classes as of June 16, depending on local safety conditions and advisories.

Meanwhile, the department has mobilized 671 mental health and psychosocial support facilitators in Region XII.

Among the support measures being implemented are well-being checks, “Kumustahan” sessions, psychological first aid, and other psychosocial activities for affected learners and school personnel. /atm