The Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City governments have announced that all public school students will observe the Department of Education’s (DepEd) nationwide ‘Wellness Break’ from October 27 to 30.
In a social media post, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Ma. Cynthia ‘Cindi’ King-Chan reminded students and teachers about the DepEd memorandum declaring a four-day break to allow them to rest and recover, especially after the recent earthquakes.
‘Mga kids, mao gyud ni ang inyong giatngan nga announcement. Walay klase para sa atong mga students sa nahisgotang mga adlaw,’ Mayor Chan wrote. She added that classes will resume on November 3, after the annual observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
The mayor also reminded students to stay safe and stressed that teachers deserve this mental health break.
Meanwhile, Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito ‘Jonkie’ Ouano has lifted the suspension of face-to-face classes for all public and private schools in the city. However, he clarified that all public schools must still observe the DepEd-declared wellness break, in accordance with DepEd Order No. 12, s. 2025.
‘This Midyear Break serves as a mental health and wellness break following the recent series of strong earthquakes,’ Mayor Ouano said.
Private schools in Mandaue may resume face-to-face classes starting today or opt to use alternative delivery modes, depending on their discretion.
Both Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu had previously suspended in-person classes after a series of earthquakes, prompting schools to temporarily shift to modular and asynchronous learning. Some students in Mandaue City reportedly experienced hysteria and trauma during the aftershocks, though no similar incidents were recorded in Lapu-Lapu City.
DepEd earlier announced the four-day nationwide wellness break to allow students and teachers to rest and recover, citing the emotional strain caused by recent calamities and the rise of flu-like illnesses in several areas.
Classes across the country are set to resume on November 3.