Around 8,000 schools nationwide were under Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMs) on Friday, May 3, as face-to-face classes remained suspended due to hot weather.
Based on the data from the Department of Education (DepEd), a total of 7,949 out of 47,678 schools across the country are implementing ADM due to the intense heat experienced in many regions.
Western Visayas has the highest number of schools that suspended face-to-face classes with 1,595. It was followed by Central Luzon with 1,285 and Bicol Region with 1,203 schools.
Schools in following regions have also shifted to ADMs including Ilocos Region with 466; Cagayan Valley with 443; CALABARZON with 275; MIMAROPA with 462; Central Visayas with 482; Eastern Visayas with 72; Zamboanga Peninsula with 647; Northern Mindanao with 108; Davao Region with 28; SOCCSKSARGEN with 366; Caraga with one; Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with 261 and the National Capital Region with 255.
Schools have been suspending face-to-face classes since April due to the high heat index experienced in different parts of the country.
DepEd has constantly reiterated the provisions of Department Order 037 issued in 2022 which provides 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.
School heads, DepEd said, were given the “authority and discretion” to suspend the conduct of in-person classes and shift to ADM in cases of extreme heat and other calamities that may compromise the health and safety of learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel.
As it supervises more than 47,000 schools nationwide, DepEd said it is in the “best interest of the learning community to have localized assessments for timely response and interventions to ensure the welfare of learners and personnel."
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