More than 420,000 students in Western Visayas lost access to their classrooms since Wednesday, September 24, after Tropical Storm Opong forced widespread class suspensions across the region.
DepEd Region 6 reported that 1,230 schools in 46 municipalities shut their doors by midday on Thursday, September 25, leaving 420,873 learners to rely on online and alternative modes of learning.
Officials said the move complied with DepEd Order No. 22, which requires schools to halt in-person classes during disasters and emergencies to protect students and teachers.
Iloilo province closed 698 schools, displacing 219,291 students across 27 municipalities. Capiz followed with 372 schools shutting down in 14 towns, affecting 104,962 learners
In Iloilo City, 66 schools suspended face-to-face classes for 73,413 students, while Antique closed 94 schools in four towns, affecting 23,207 learners.
DepEd-6 noted that this marked the second major disruption in less than a week. On September 22, 475,293 students in 1,435 schools were kept home due to the combined threats of Super Typhoon Nando and armed conflict in some areas.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.