DAVAO CITY – The Department of Education-Schools Division of Sarangani will implement alternative delivery mode for learners as hundreds of classrooms were damaged in the magnitude-7.8 earthquake on June 8.

Classes in the province remain suspended until June 17 as emergency protocols are still in effect.

The Schools Division of Sarangani said that 258 out of 327 schools in the province were affected by the earthquake, with 617 classrooms totally and 1,127 partially damaged.

DepEd-Sarangani chief Dr. Ruth Estacio said inspections are still ongoing to identify which remaining schools or classrooms are still safe to be occupied.

Estacio said that psychosocial activities will be conducted once suspension of classes is lifted.

The school official said that debriefing or play therapies for affected learners will be conducted in open spaces and classrooms declared safe by structural engineers.

Should classes resume, Estacio said severely affected schools will utilize learning activity sheets as among the alternatives.

“If the classrooms would be inspected and cleared by the structural engineers, then we can still use them. If totally damaged, especially if it sustained structural damage, then we will no longer use the buildings,” she said.

DepEd-Sarangani serves the towns of Alabel, Glan, Kiamba, Maasim, Maitum, Malapatan, and Malungon.

DepEd-Sarangani said the coastal town of Glan has the highest number of damaged schools with 29 and 206 and 317 classrooms sustaining major and minor damages. Twenty-seven schools sustained major damage in Malapatan. At least 100 classrooms sustained major damage and 165 had minor damage.

Estacio said that they cannot give a definite date on the resumption of classes as they are still monitoring the situation. Nineteen schools are still being used as evacuation centers. Five of these schools are in Glan where about 500 houses were totally damaged.