DepEd: Complete suspension of classes if temperature hits 42 degrees Celsius

MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Sonny Angara has issued comprehensive guidelines for schools amid the threat of the super El Niño, ordering the suspension of all physical and home-based academic activities once ambient temperature hits 42 degrees Celsius, to ensure the safety of learners and teachers.

“We cannot afford to wait until extreme heat hits before we act. Our plan this year is proactive, deliberate and organized,” he said.

Angara signed Department of Education (DepEd) Memorandum 64, Series of 2026, which aims to keep school environments safe, protect the health of learners and personnel and ensure that learning continues throughout the anticipated dry spell.

“We are making sure our schools are fully prepared to manage heat stress, water shortages and health risks, protecting the safety and well-being of our learners and personnel without unnecessarily sacrificing precious classroom time,” he added.

Under the guidelines, physical classes will be suspended when temperatures reach 33 to 41 degrees Celsius, with learners shifting to lighter home-based tasks and health check-ins.

When temperatures range from 27 to 32 degrees Celsius, school heads may shorten in-person hours or shift to hybrid and flexible home-based schedules.

Regular face-to-face classes with scheduled hydration breaks may continue when temperatures remain below 27 degrees Celsius.

“Every community experiences weather conditions differently. Through our 4H framework and daily classroom-level monitoring, we are empowering our school heads with the flexibility to adjust hours or shift to modular learning only when local conditions genuinely require it,” Angara said.

The policy takes effect immediately and will remain in force until the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration officially announces the end of the 2026-2027 El Niño episode.

Beyond its impact on classroom activities, the anticipated El Niño could put further pressure on household budgets, as the Philippines is among the economies most exposed to rising prices from the weather phenomenon, according to research and analysis firm BMI.

BMI expects drought-driven food inflation to be the main economic risk from the El Niño episode.

“Local food inflation has historically been 1.8 to 2.5 pp (percentage points) higher within a year of an extreme drought and El Niño makes such droughts significantly more likely in exposed regions,” it said in its report.

While food stocks could cushion the impact, BMI said Southeast Asia has thin buffers, putting rice, palm oil and coffee supplies at risk.

“Rice stocks have fallen below 2023 levels in Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, leaving the Philippines, which imports around a third of its rice, most exposed to higher prices,” BMI said.

However, well-stocked global rice markets limit the risk of a repeat of the price spike seen in 2023 to 2024.

BMI said El Niño could increase drought risks for cropland across Southeast Asia, Southern Africa, Central America and northern South America, threatening the production of rice, maize, sugar, palm oil and coffee.

Overall inflation accelerated to 7.2 percent in September, ending a four-month downtrend, driven mainly by faster increases in food prices.

Food inflation rose to 6.8 percent from 4.6 percent in August, largely due to higher vegetable prices.

From January to September, overall inflation averaged 5.4 percent, above the government’s two to four percent target.