Class suspensions reveal government neglect — group
Teachers' group slams government's 'band-aid' response, urges reallocation of pork barrel funds to strengthen education infrastructure and safety
Published Oct 13, 2025 04:09 pm
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers-NCR slammed the government’s reliance on class suspensions amid disaster drills and health concerns, calling it a sign of chronic neglect in the education sector and urging pork barrel funds to be redirected to school infrastructure and safety. (MB / file photo)
A teachers’ group on Monday, October 13, criticized the government’s recurring reliance on class suspensions amid public health concerns and disaster preparedness drills, calling it a sign of chronic neglect of the education sector.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers-National Capital Region (ACT-NCR) Union issued the statement following the Department of Health’s (DOH) denial of an influenza outbreak in Metro Manila and its clarification that recent class suspensions were due to earthquake preparedness activities—not health-related issues.
“Influenza man ‘yan o lindol, ang ‘go-to solution’ na naman ng gobyerno ay suspension ng classes—indikasyon ito ng kapabayaan niya sa sektor ng edukasyon (Whether it's influenza or an earthquake, the government's ‘go-to solution’ is once again class suspension—an indication of its neglect of the education sector),” ACT-NCR said.
The group argued that, whether prompted by health risks or disaster readiness, the government’s default response of suspending classes reflects its failure to provide long-term, structural solutions to the vulnerabilities of public schools.
“Whether it's a health crisis or disaster preparedness, the government's default response remains the same: suspend classes,” the group said. “This band-aid approach does nothing to address the systemic problems that make our schools vulnerable in the first place,” it added.
Call for increased education budget
The teachers’ union called for greater investment in education infrastructure and resources, including the construction of climate-resilient classrooms, improved ventilation, and better facilities to ensure both safety and health protection.
They also urged the government to hire more teachers and school personnel to reduce overcrowding in classrooms and to provide functional laboratories and on-site health professionals in every school.
Scrap pork barrel, fund schools instead
ACT-NCR further demanded that all pork barrel allocations in the proposed 2026 national budget be scrapped and redirected toward education spending.
The statement comes amid growing public concern over successive class suspensions in Metro Manila, with many parents and teachers calling for more proactive measures to ensure continuity of learning without compromising health and safety.
“Our students and teachers deserve schools that are safe, healthy, and prepared—not just reactive suspensions that highlight government failure,” the group said.
ACT-NCR has repeatedly called attention to the need for sustained investment in the education sector, warning that the lack of long-term planning leaves schools—and the nation’s learners—vulnerable to both natural disasters and public health threats.
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