PUBLIC schools sitting along fault lines may soon be ‘over-engineered’ to withstand stronger earthquakes, as education and science officials move to reinforce disaster readiness in classrooms nationwide.
Following recent tremors in Cebu and Davao Oriental, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) are exploring plans to construct buildings that exceed standard design requirements and to utilize science-based data in determining class suspensions and safety measures.
DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said the partnership seeks to ensure that actions taken during disasters, such as suspending classes or evacuating schools, are not only quick but data-driven.
‘Science plays a vital role in ensuring that our decisions during disasters are not only quick but also precise,’ Solidum said.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara, who visited quake-hit areas earlier this month, said DepEd will collaborate with Phivolcs to train school personnel in assessing building stability and responding to emergencies.
Phivolcs recorded an aftershock on Wednesday morning, October 15, off the coast of Manay town in Davao Oriental. The province was struck by twin earthquakes on October 10, with magnitudes 7.3 and 6.8.
The following day, tremors were also reported in Isabela, Zambales and Surigao del Sur, while La Union and Cebu experienced separate quakes earlier this month.
The education department is also looking into setting up a command center that would serve as a monitoring hub for early warnings and real-time hazard updates.
Both agencies, its officials added, are developing checklist-based systems that could automatically send alerts once risk conditions are detected, helping schools act faster during emergencies.
They also agreed to issue unified advisories to maintain public trust and prevent misinformation.
Under DepEd Order 22, authority to suspend classes rests with local chiefs, superintendents and school principals.
DepEd emphasized that such decisions must rely on Phivolcs advisories, on-ground conditions and the school’s capacity to resume learning quickly through modular or take-home lessons.