An earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck the waters near the Philippine archipelago on the morning of the 8th. The Philippine Disaster Reduction Department reported in the afternoon that the quake has caused 15 deaths and 134 injuries.
Within less than an hour and a half after the major earthquake, six aftershocks were recorded in the area, the largest of which reached a magnitude of 6.5. Most of the epicenters were shallow to medium in depth.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Department of Education announced that following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in parts of Mindanao, classes at all levels were suspended in the affected regions to ensure the safety of students and faculty.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Department of Education announced that following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in parts of Mindanao, classes at all levels were suspended in the affected regions to ensure the safety of students and faculty.
This earthquake occurred just as public schools for the 2026-2027 academic year were officially opening, with the hardest-hit areas including Sarangani Province and several surrounding provinces.
Philippine Education Secretary Sonny Angara stated that, following instructions from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., all schools in affected areas have suspended classes to ensure student safety.
He said that he is currently in Cotabato City, and although the disaster situation there is not as severe as in other areas, classes have still been suspended out of safety concerns.
The Department of Education also quickly dispatched personnel to the disaster zones to assess the damage and safety of the affected schools. Angara noted that authorities have sent engineers to inspect the impact of the earthquake on school buildings in areas under the Department of Education’s Region 12 office, and additional structural engineers will be deployed from the central office to assist in the evaluation effort.
According to preliminary reports, some buildings at Matanaw National High School were damaged in the earthquake, with some structures even collapsing.
Angara emphasized that the safety of students, teachers, and school staff will be the top priority of the Department of Education. All schools must be thoroughly inspected and confirmed to be safe before classes can resume.
He revealed that after the earthquake, authorities immediately began classroom safety inspections and will take all necessary measures to ensure that campus environments meet safety standards.
The Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is also closely monitoring developments of the disaster and assessing the impact of the earthquake.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education’s Soccsksargen division has announced the suspension of classes and office operations to conduct a comprehensive inspection of school infrastructure. Engineers and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) personnel have been instructed to conduct structural safety evaluations of all schools and office facilities.
The Department of Education also encourages personnel in affected regions to adopt remote work arrangements during the assessment period. It reminds all teachers, students, and staff not to enter campus or office premises until the related buildings have been certified as safe.
As of 9:00 a.m. that day, data from the Department of Education's disaster monitoring platform showed that a total of 5,893 schools nationwide had been affected by the earthquake.