October 1, 2025
MANILA – Students in storm-prone regions such as Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, and Ilocos missed up to 44 percent of scheduled school days in the first quarter of School Year 2023–2024, according to new data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).
In the Cordillera Administrative Region, students lost 35 out of 80 school days, meaning nearly one out of every two scheduled days was spent out of class. Cagayan Valley (33 days lost) and the Ilocos Region (31 days lost) posted similar figures, compressing what should have been a full quarter of instruction into just over a month.
Metro Manila also experienced significant disruption, with 20 school days lost due to weather-related class suspensions — equivalent to one in every four days.
At the other end of the spectrum, Mindanao and Visayas regions reported minimal disruptions. Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and SOCCSKSARGEN each lost only three days out of 80, while the Davao Region lost five days.
“The country is hemorrhaging learning time as storms and policy collide,” said Dr. Rogelio Alicor Panao, INQUIRER Metrics data scientist and associate professor at the University of the Philippines, in his analysis of the dataset.
“What began as a precaution has calcified into habit: when a typhoon threatens, schools close whether or not damage occurs, and there is no clear plan to reclaim lost days,” he added.
Panao noted that continued class suspensions—particularly in regions hit hardest by storms—could weaken students’ mastery of basic skills, widen learning gaps, and normalize the idea among children that schooling is optional during the rainy season.
In response to the growing challenge, the Department of Education (DepEd) last July highlighted the rollout of Learning and Service Continuity Plans (LSCPs) in all public schools.
These include alternative delivery modes (ADMs) such as online classes, self-learning modules, and activity sheets, along with protocols for storing learning devices and training teachers for rapid shifts in instruction.
These efforts are part of DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2024, which revised class suspension guidelines and directed schools to update LSCPs regularly as part of emergency preparedness.
READ: DepEd revises suspension guidelines to address learning disruption
Despite these measures, EDCOM 2 data indicates that many regions—particularly in northern Luzon—remain especially vulnerable to extended academic stoppages.
Without stronger implementation of existing policies, improved infrastructure, and more robust recovery mechanisms, education experts warn that repeated weather disruptions may continue to reduce classroom contact time in the most affected areas.
“Without swift flood-control action and aggressive catch-up programs,” Panao warned, “the next storm will not only inundate streets—it will wash away the nation’s fragile promise of education.”