Angara says decisions under EO 130 will rest on Pagasa and Phivolcs data so classes resume as soon as it is safe
PASIG CITY (November 5, 2026) – The Department of Education (DepEd) is putting the finishing touches on the guidelines that will decide when classes are called off under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s new Executive Order (EO) No. 130, moving away from blanket cancellations toward decisions backed by hazard data.
In a statement on Thursday, DepEd said it is finalizing a joint memorandum circular (JMC) with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the shift is meant to protect learners without wasting school days. “When disasters and environmental hazards strike, our decisions must be swift, clear, and firmly anchored on data from scientific agencies like Pagasa and Phivolcs,” he said.
“We owe it to our children to keep them safe, but we must also curb learning loss by ensuring they return to class the moment conditions permit,” Angara added.
Three ways to suspend classes
EO 130, which amends EO 66 of 2012, covers all schools and learning centers and applies to hazards such as typhoons, torrential rains, storm surges, earthquakes, extreme heat, volcanic activity, hazardous air pollution, structural damage and utility outages. The JMC will spell out the technical thresholds for three mechanisms:
1. Automatic suspension – triggered once official warnings or alert levels from Pagasa, Phivolcs or other national agencies reach set thresholds.
2. Localized suspension – declared by mayors or governors based on documented local risk assessments, when no automatic suspension applies.
3. Granular suspension – declared by a school itself, only when site-specific assessments show an actual or imminent threat to learners and personnel.
Classes and onsite work resume once the warning is lifted or downgraded and required safety inspections are done. The order also stresses that suspending in-person classes “shall not automatically suspend learning,” so schools must shift to alternative delivery modes.
Guidelines due within 30 days
DepEd is expected to release the implementing rules within 30 days of the order, which the President signed this week. The timing matters as the very strong El Niño drives up heat indices across the country, with several towns already calling off face-to-face classes in recent days.
Senator Win Gatchalian earlier urged DepEd not to let El Niño suspensions worsen learning loss, while Quezon City has scrapped its own heat suspension rules to follow the national framework.