The Department of Education has updated its guidelines on class suspension

On Thursday, September 1, 2022, the agency issued Order 37 series of 2022, which should be followed by all public schools and DepEd personnel in all central, regional, and division offices.

Under the guidelines, in person and online classes in all levels, as well as work in schools are automatically suspended when:

* The area was placed by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.

* The area was issued with a yellow, orange, or red rainfall warning.

* The area was issued with a flood warning.

* The area was hit by an earthquake of above magnitude five as declared by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

DepEd said when classes are already ongoing at the time the warning is issued, students must immediately be sent home unless the school administration deems it unsafe.

The agency, however, gave school administrations and local government units power to suspend classes and work despite not meeting these conditions should they find the situation unsafe for their learners and teachers, as well as non-teaching staff, "except those who are mandated to render security, safety, finance, engineering, sanitation, health, and disaster response duties."

"In times of disasters and calamities, safeguarding the learners and personnel from unnecessary physical dangers that they may be exposed to, and protecting their constitutional rights to life, health, safety, and property, remain to be the department's paramount consideration," the guidelines read.

According to the agency, private schools and community learning centers, as well as state or local universities and colleges, can choose to follow the provisions of the department order.

Make-up classes will be required in schools "to ensure that learning competencies and objectives are still met."

The guidelines also instructed DepEd offices and schools to activate their respective disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) teams to assist with response, early recovery, and reporting duties in the aftermath of the disaster.

In contrast to the agency's previous order, it stated that schools are no longer permitted to be used as quarantine, isolation, or vaccination sites.