DepEd to conduct makeup classes after week-long suspension from habagat rains

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Cristina Chi - Philstar.com

July 29, 2025 | 1:53pm

Students walk across the gutter-deep flood along the corner of Taft and UN Avenues in Manila following a heavy downpour brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon on Monday, July 21, 2025. The city of Manila on Monday suspended classes at all levels in public and private schools starting at 12 noon.

The STAR / Edd Gumban

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education plans to hold makeup classes after in-person learning was suspended across parts of Luzon last week due to heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon (habagat) and three tropical cyclones.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed Tuesday, July 29, that the department will implement additional class hours to prevent learning loss among students after the longest stretch of class suspensions this school year. 

DepEd is leaving it up to schools to decide how they want to make up for the suspension of in-person classes, Angara said.

"That will depend on the schools—whether they can add extra hours on weekdays or hold classes on Saturdays," the DepEd secretary said. 

"We’ll also look at the teachers’ schedules because we want to make sure they still get their rest," Angara added.

Face-to-face classes were suspended for a week straight in over 20,000 public schools nationwide as rains from the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) pummeled the country — the longest class suspension for the school year so far. 

The combined effects of tropical cyclones Crising (Wipha), Dante (Francisco) and Emong (Co-May), along with the southwest monsoon, led to massive flooding across Metro Manila and nearby provinces. 

At least 34 people have died, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's latest report on Tuesday. Meanwhile, at least six million individuals were affected by the weather disturbances. 

Learning continuity. The constant suspension of in-person classes from weather-related events — including floods and extreme heat — prompted DepEd to roll out new guidelines for class suspensions in December 2024. 

Among other preparations, the new guidelines required all schools to develop Learning and Service Continuity Plans that identify suitable alternative delivery modes for different types of disasters, considering local circumstances.

"In the event of suspended face-to-face classes, schools shall implement modular distance learning, online distance learning, or blended learning, where feasible," the DepEd order stated.

The guidelines also gave school heads the power to declare class suspensions as long as they make the "necessary coordination" with the local government and the schools division superintendent. 

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