More than 700 young students in Lapu-Lapu City were forced to stand on their chairs as floodwaters inundated their classrooms following a severe three-hour downpour. The incident has triggered urgent calls for action from education and health authorities, amid a rising number of suspected leptospirosis cases in the province.
School Flooding Incident and Immediate Response
The flooding occurred on Monday, December 1, 2025, at the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base Elementary School in Barangay Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City. Over 700 students found themselves wading through floodwater inside their own classrooms after the intense rainfall. With water levels rising, pupils had no choice but to stand on their seats to stay above the water. School officials promptly canceled classes and sent the children home for their safety.
In reaction to the event, the Department of Education (DepEd) Lapu-Lapu City Schools Division issued a directive for all schools to strictly monitor students who have been exposed to floodwater. This order is a direct response to the increasing health threat posed by leptospirosis, a bacterial disease often spread through water contaminated by animal urine.
Leptospirosis Crisis and the Confirmation Barrier
The flooding incident highlights a much larger public health emergency unfolding in Cebu. Provincial data reveals that from November 1 to 30, 2025, Cebu recorded 426 probable cases of leptospirosis, with 12 reported deaths. However, a critical bottleneck is preventing a formal declaration of an outbreak: the lack of confirmatory test results.
All 426 cases remain classified as "probable" because the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) has not yet released confirmatory laboratory results. This delay has become a major obstacle for local officials. Provincial Board Member and doctor, Stanley Caminero, raised questions about who has the authority to declare an outbreak, a move necessary to release emergency funds.
Epidemiologist Eugenia Mercedes Cañal from the Department of Health (DOH) clarified that the local government unit (LGU) holds that power. However, she confirmed that the absence of RITM's confirmatory results is hindering any decisive declaration, leaving hundreds of cases in limbo while public health remains at risk.
Calls for Action and Transparency
To address the testing lag, DOH 7 Director Joshua Brillantes has ordered the expedited reconstruction of the regional molecular laboratory facility. This move is seen as a vital step to speed up local testing and automatically validate suspected cases without relying solely on the RITM.
Health experts point out that the leptospirosis crisis is a symptom of deeper systemic issues, including poor sanitation, inadequate rat control, and gaps in disease surveillance. There is a growing consensus that action cannot wait for bureaucratic confirmations. Immediate flood mitigation and disease prevention measures are urgently needed to protect children and communities.
Furthermore, a DOH "gag order" preventing LGUs from publicly releasing leptospirosis data due to the lack of confirmatory tests is being questioned. Critics argue that withholding information, for any reason, makes it harder for local governments and communities to respond quickly and accurately. They emphasize that open communication is essential for public preparedness and should not be stifled.
