Face-to-face classes have officially resumed in the northern Cebu town of San Remigio, marking a significant step towards normalcy for students months after a destructive earthquake. The restart, which began on Monday, January 5, 2026, applies only to school buildings deemed safe and habitable following the seismic event on September 30, 2025.
Conditional Resumption Based on Safety
According to San Remigio Councilor Miguel Martinez, the local government has given the Department of Education (DepEd) the green light to restart in-person learning. The resumption, however, is strictly conditional. Schools with damaged but still usable classrooms may proceed with face-to-face classes, while those with structures classified as uninhabitable must temporarily hold sessions in makeshift classrooms.
"The mayor has given the go signal to DepEd to start face-to-face classes but it will be based on the classrooms that are habitable. The ones that are not will have to use makeshift classrooms," Martinez explained. He added that the local government unit is closely coordinating with DepEd, which holds primary responsibility for the repair, rebuilding, or replacement of the damaged school infrastructure.
Varying Recovery Pace Across Northern Cebu
The situation differs across other localities affected by the 6.9-magnitude tremor. In Medellin town, the suspension of in-person classes was also lifted effective January 5 through Executive Order No. 1. Their policy mandates that only classrooms certified safe by engineers from the Department of Public Works and Highways and DepEd can be used. For rooms still considered unsafe, schools must implement flexible learning arrangements.
Meanwhile, in Bogo City, classes in public schools remain suspended as of Sunday, January 4. While some private institutions have resumed operations after passing safety checks, public schools are awaiting formal clearance. Bogo City Mayor Maria Cielo Martinez stated that public schools need a compliance checklist from the schools division superintendent before they can welcome students back.
Staggering Scale of Damage to Classrooms
The widespread impact of the earthquake on education infrastructure is captured in official data. Information from DepEd Cebu Province reveals that the tremor caused damage to a staggering 2,709 classrooms across northern Cebu. A detailed breakdown of the damage shows the severity:
- 438 classrooms were completely destroyed.
- 845 classrooms sustained major damage.
- 1,426 classrooms were recorded with minor damage.
DepEd 7 Director Salustiano Jimenez provided a broader regional perspective, indicating that face-to-face classes may resume in all schools except those that were utterly destroyed and have no available classrooms for use. This phased and safety-first approach underscores the challenging recovery journey for the educational sector in the wake of the natural disaster, balancing the urgent need for learning continuity with the paramount importance of student and teacher welfare.
