Most public schools in Soccsksargen have been cleared to resume classes after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Maasim, Sarangani, on June 8, the Department of Education said Friday.
DepEd said schools in Cotabato, Kidapawan, Koronadal, Tacurong, and Sultan Kudarat moved on June 15 to the “Hayo” or Continue phase of its Learning Continuity in Emergencies framework.
The phase allows learning activities to restart once school conditions are assessed as safe.
Schools in General Santos City and Sarangani, however, remained under the “Hinto” or Stop phase as recovery work continued.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the resumption of classes must depend not only on schedules but also on the safety of school buildings, the readiness of learners and teachers, and the availability of support systems.
Angara said structural safety, learning continuity, and psychosocial support must move together to help schools recover properly from the disaster.
DepEd reported damage in 1,396 schools in Region 12, including 1,950 classrooms that were destroyed, 2,098 classrooms with major damage, and 6,065 classrooms with minor damage.
As of June 16, DepEd said the quake affected 142,821 learners and 7,406 personnel across 39 schools division offices. It also reported that 2,342 schools still had class suspensions, while 6,748 had resumed classes, with 671 mental health and psychosocial support facilitators deployed for affected learners and personnel.