Natural disasters and other calamities are inevitable events that may destroy properties or cause physical hazards. But since these are unforeseen events, it’s essential to be prepared and informed to avoid perils. With that said, the Department of Education (DepEd) issued the DepEd Order 37 Series 2022 to guide students and school personnel in class suspension and cancellation.
This policy contains detailed information on when to suspend or cancel classes in public and private schools in case of typhoons, heavy rainfall, floods, earthquakes, power outages/power interruptions, or brownouts. Moreover, the policy specified the decision-makers to achieve DepEd’s goal to protect students and teaching and non-teaching personnel from the dangers of disasters and natural calamities.
What is DepEd Order 37 Series 2022
The DepEd Order Series 2022 is the “Guidelines on the Cancellation or Suspension of Classes and Work in Schools in the Event of Natural Disasters, Power Outages/Power Interruptions, and Other Calamities.” It is issued to guide the learners and personnel of public and private educational institutions. The policy promotes the safety and protection of learners and school personnel from avoidable physical dangers they may encounter during natural disasters and calamities. Furthermore, this policy protects their constitutional rights to life, health, safety, and property.
Objectives
With the implementation of the DepEd Order 37, the department aims to achieve the following:
- Ensure that learners and school personnel are safe from unnecessary physical dangers caused by natural disasters and calamities.
- Protect learners and school personnel in public and private institutions, constitutional rights to life, health, safety, and property.
- Reduce the health and safety risks caused by disasters and other natural calamities.
- Provide guidance on class and work cancellation or suspension at school during disasters, calamities, or emergencies, which is imperative to preserve the physical and mental well-being of students, pupils, learners, and teaching and non-teaching personnel.
Also Read:Â DepEd Government Programs & Projects for FilipinosÂ
Guidelines on the Cancellation or Suspension of Classes and Work in Schools
A. Typhoon
During a typhoon, online and in-person classes and work from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and Alternative Learning System (ALS) are automatically canceled or suspended, given the school is in Local Government Units (LGUs), where the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) issued a Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.
B. Heavy Rainfall
Under the DepEd Order 37, online and in-person classes and work from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and ALS can be canceled or suspended during heavy rainfall. The automatic cancelation or suspension of classes and work applies to schools located in LGUs where PAGASA issued an Orange and Red Rainfall Warning.
C. Flood
If PAGASA issued a Flood Warning, online and in-person classes and work from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and ALS are automatically suspended or canceled in schools in the affected areas.
D. Earthquakes
The automatic suspension or cancellation of online and in-person classes and work from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and ALS applies to schools located in LGUS where the Philippine Institute of Volcanic and Seismology (PHILVOCS) declared an earthquake with PHILVOCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS) V or above.
E. Power Outages/Power Interruptions/Brownout
The automatic suspension or cancellation of classes is not applicable during a power outage/power interruption/brownout in the school. On the other hand, school officials can suspend or cancel the classes on their own accord, given the power outage, power interruption, or brownout is causing a poor learning environment.
F. Adjustments to Learning Delivery Due to Suspensions/Cancellation of Classes
In case the classes are suspended or canceled, schools should implement modular distance learning, performance tasks, projects, or make-up classes, ensuring learners still meet the learning competencies and objectives. To conform with the DepEd Order 14 Series 2021, teachers should consider the attendance and completion of learning tasks for learners who miss school activities during class suspension or cancelation due to natural disasters and emergencies.
G. Maintenance of Workforce and Activation of DRRM Teams
Teaching and non-teaching school personnel, including ALS teachers, are not required to report to work, excluding those in safety, security, finance, health, sanitation, engineering, and disaster response. However, schools must prepare to enforce remote work at all times. The Educational institutions and Central, Regional, and School Division Offices should activate their DRRM Teams, preparing them to monitor and respond to disasters and natural calamities.
H. Use of Schools as Evacuation Center or Covid-19 Quarantine and/or Isolation Facility/Vaccination Center
The Office Memorandum OM-Osec-2020-004 revokes the authority of Regional Directors to allow the utilization of schools as quarantine/isolation facilities or vaccination centers. Therefore, schools can no longer utilize it for such purposes. Meanwhile, mobile vaccinations not exceeding two (2) days may be allowed, given it does not interrupt classes or school co-curricular activities. During disasters, LGUs can use schools as immediate evacuation sites for only fifteen (15) days and not as long-term shelters.
I. Conduct of Psychological First Aid
All Schools Division and Regional Offices should assess the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support needs and services and supervise Psychological First Aid (PFA), from mobilizing trained PFA partners and providers to the referral of psychological support services.
J. Responsibility of Parents and Guardians
Above all, DepEd believes that parents or guardians have the utmost responsibility of whether or not their children should attend classes, considering their physical and mental well-being at times of disaster and calamities. It applies even if there is no class suspension or cancellation.
Reminders
- The school should immediately suspend or cancel the classes and work, given it’s safe for everyone to go home if the classes started before the issuance of TCWS, Yellow Rainfall Warning, and Flood Warning. Nonetheless, schools must keep the students and personnel on their premises if it’s unsafe to travel.
- The cancellation or suspension of classes must be decided by the Local Chief Executives wherever there are strong winds, torrential rains, and floods in specific or all areas of the LGUs, even if PAGASA did not issue a TCWS, Yellow Rainfall, or a Flood Warning. The same goes for areas where the PEIS is IV and below.
- Additionally, School Principals can suspend or cancel classes at any Intensity Scale if their building and other structures have damage or risk of collapsing.
- Before allowing the return of students and personnel, the Team Head of School Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) should clear the safety of the building and other structures.
DepEd Guidelines on Order 37 PDF File Document Download
If you want to review the full text of DepEd Order 37 Series 2022 in PDF file, you can download it here – https://depedph.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DepEd-Order-37-s.-2022-cancellation-of-classes-due-to-calamity-philippines-full-PDF-File.pdf
Alternatively, we have provided some images of the document below so that you can get a better understanding of its contents and guidelines.
Video: DepEd clarifies policy on suspension of classes | ANC
For more details about DepEd Order 37, please watch the video below:
As stated in the video, classes may be suspended or canceled with the implementation of DepEd Order 37 Series 2022. In the past, students already went to school before a class suspension was issued, causing confusion or further exposure of learners and teaching and non-teaching personnel to the dangers of disasters and natural calamities. Therefore, DepEd Order 37 aims to protect and ensure the safety of learners and school personnel.
DSWD Assistance During Calamities
To underprivileged Filipinos who have been affected by disasters and calamities, aside from the DepEd Order, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) offers assistance through its Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center.
This center provides emergency supplies such as food, water, clothing, hygiene kits, shelter materials, and other necessary items to affected families. The DSWD also has a Listahanan program that identifies poor households in need of assistance during crises like disasters.
It’s good to be aware of the assistance provided by the government to our fellow Filipinos during times of need. So, let’s stay informed and be prepared for any potential disasters or calamities that may come our way.
Summary
Hence, the DepEd Order 37 Series 2022 provides detailed Guidelines on the Cancellation or Suspension of Classes and Work in Schools, which helps educational institutions and LGUs make sound decisions in case of natural disasters, calamities, or power interruptions. Additionally, this policy allows parents and guardians to decide whether or not to send their kids to school, as consideration for their safety. Therefore, we encourage learners, students, parents, guardians, and teaching and non-teaching personnel to understand the DepEd Order 37.