WITH 200 classrooms damaged by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that shook Sarangani, General Santos and Davao on Monday, the classroom backlog pegged at 165,443 further deepened.
The latest death toll from the quake was 45, a little less than 500 injured and thousands still missing.
The earthquake struck at 7:37 a.m. Monday off the coast of Sarangani, disrupting the first day of classes in several regions in the southern Philippines.
The Department of Education said the tremor affected 267 public schools in 14 provinces across Soccsksargen, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, the Davao Region, and Caraga.
Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato logged the highest number of affected schools and about 1,391 classrooms affected with the breakdown as follows: 199 destroyed; 296 major damage; and 896 minor damage, the DepEd reported.
In an apparent bid to normalize schooling in the soonest possible time, Education Secretary Sonny Angara ordered fund allocations, to wit:
- P235 million to set up 130 fully equipped “learning continuity spaces,” or temporary classrooms, with emergency power and Starlink Wi-Fi connectivity
- P43.9 million for minor classroom repairs
- P7.7 million for cleanup and clearing operations
The DepEd also plans to use its P3-billion Quick Response Fund (QRF) for the reconstruction or replacement of damaged school buildings and facilities.
Class Suspensions
After the powerful temblor, the DepEd suspended the classes in 8,208 schools on Monday. Nearly 10%, or 818 schools, resumed in-person classes on Tuesday, Rappler reported.
Around 4 million learners were affected by the class suspensions, DepEd added.
On June 4, the agency issued revised guidelines on learning continuity in emergencies.
Following the implementation of Level 4-Hinto or a full class suspension in severe-risk areas, the DepEd said it is preparing to shift to Level 3-Hinga, or executing check-ins and light distance learning.
The guidelines said academic demands are heavily reduced under Level 3, with teachers using check-in guides and parents or guardians receiving family kits for home-based support. Students will use learning packets and other simplified learning resources, Rappler quoted the guidelines.
The education department said around P258.98 million will be allocated to print and deliver the learning packets to affected students.
It emphasized that “the safe return to face-to-face classes will strictly be determined on a school-by-school basis, and resumption will only be allowed once DepEd engineers, local coordinators, and structural experts officially inspect and clear the facilities.”
“Furthermore, DepEd has deployed registered guidance counselors to provide critical Psychological First Aid and mental health screenings to traumatized learners and staff.”
Latest Update
The latest update from the Office of Civil Defense reported 45 deaths; 3,169 houses damaged; P562 million worth of infrastructure destroyed.
The General Santos International Airport ceased to operate and class suspensions for Regions 11 and 12.
The OCD also reported 1,953 aftershocks as of 8 a.m., the ANC reported.
Classroom Backlogs
From July 2022 to August 2025, the DepEd and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) completed 19,250 classrooms, reducing a previous high (in classroom shortage) of over 165,000 by 11.6% to around 146,193.
To address this, the government is shifting to a “go-local” approach, enabling Local Government Units (LGUs) to lead construction, as the DPWH failed to meet targets.
President Marcos has committed to building 40,000 classrooms before his term ends in 2028. For 2026, the government aims to start 20,000-25,000 classrooms.
The highest classroom deficits are in Calabarzon (Region IV-A), the National Capital Region (NCR), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
If the current slow pace of construction continues, experts warn the backlog could grow to 200,000 by 2028, and a separate report indicated that 51,000 existing classrooms may need to be condemned by 2028, according to the Second Congressional Education Commission (EDCOM II) report.
The country’s classroom shortage is a staggering 165,443 units, a figure that continues to undermine the quality of education for millions of learners nationwide. EDCOM II warned that this backlog may be compounded by ageing school buildings.
Last February Sen. Bam Aquino noted that it would take over one year to address the problem of classrooms and that he personally sees that it would take anywhere from 6 to 10 years of continued funding and construction to address the shortage of classrooms.
EDCOM II explored diversifying construction modalities beyond the traditional DPWH procurement, looking toward LGUs and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
Aquino highlighted the need for this diversified approach and 6 to 10 years of sustained high funding to catch up and fully address the gaps in facilities and infrastructure.