DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/ 03 December) — Acting Mayor Melchor Quitain Jr. on Sunday issued Proclamation 7, suspending classes in all levels of public school on Monday, December 4 for rapid damage assessment of buildings following the Magnitude 7.4 earthquake on Saturday night.
The proclamation gives private schools the discretion to suspend classes.
Proclamation 7 suspends classes in Davao City on Monday, December 4, 2023
According to Quitain, city teams have begun conducting diagnosis, damage inspections and surveillance activities following said earthquakes.
“There is a need to thoroughly assess and inspect all vital infrastructures and facilities, including schools, government offices, roads, and bridges to ensure that areas assessed to be damaged and unsafe are closed off to the public,” Quitain said in his proclamation.
Quitain also directed the Davao City division of the Department of Education to coordinate school building inspections.
National and local government offices will also adopt a work-from-home setup, including the operations of government-owned and controlled corporations in Davao City, EXCEPT for offices performing safety and security, health, social services and disaster and emergency response services.
Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Z. Duterte tasked the DepEd to continue unannounced disaster drills in schools nationwide.
“Ipatuman nato ang blended learning sa mga apektadong lugar hangtod nga masiguro nga luwas na ang mga estudyante ug kawani sa DepEd, (we will adopt a blended learning setup in these affected areas to ensure the welfare of students and staff of the agency),” Duterte said in a video posted on her official Facebook Page.
DepEd Department Order 53, series of 2022, mandates unannounced earthquake and fire drills in schools nationwide.
“Mahalaga na masanay ang mga learners sa mga dapat na gagawin panahon ng lindol at iba pang trahedya at kalamidad (it’s important for learners to be aware of what to do during earthquakes and other disasters),” she said.
Duterte directed the agency to coordinate with the Department of Health and Department of Social Welfare and Development for any student needs, such as stress debriefings.
In October 2019, during her stint as Mayor, nine people were injured when a magnitude 6.5 earthquake damaged the five-story Ecoland 4000 condominium.
