Surigao del Sur LGUs extend class suspensions amid aftershocks

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur (MindaNews / 20 Oct) — Local government units across the province have extended the suspension of face-to-face classes at all levels, both in public and private schools, starting Monday until further notice as Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) teams continue to evaluate school buildings and government facilities.

The North Eastern Mindanao State University’s main campus in Tandag City. NEMSU announced that it will shift to online classes in all its campuses until further notice. Photo from the NEMSU website

The move follows a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck General Luna, Surigao del Norte Friday last week and a magnitude 5.6 tremor that hit 23 kilometers southeast of Cagwait, Surigao del Sur, the following day. These incidents, coupled with continuing aftershocks across the Caraga Region, prompted intensified inspections and precautionary measures to ensure public safety.

Municipalities including Cantilan, Tago, Tagbina, Lanuza, Madrid, San Miguel, Carmen, and Carrascal have issued official advisories and executive orders extending class suspensions. Local officials emphasized that the safety and well-being of students, teachers, and school personnel remain their top priority before resuming normal operations.

In Carmen, Mayor Nestor S. Valeroso said that although school buildings have been assessed as structurally sound, classes will remain suspended to give students and teachers time to recover emotionally from the trauma and anxiety brought about by the recent earthquakes.

In Tagbina, classes will remain suspended from Oct. 20 to 24, with schools encouraged to implement modular or alternative learning methods to sustain instruction amid the suspension. The municipalities of Tago and Cagwait have also prolonged class suspensions as part of their ongoing safety measures. 

At the tertiary level, the North Eastern Mindanao State University (NEMSU) announced that all its campuses, including the Tandag main campus, Cantilan, Cagwait, San Miguel, Lianga, Tagbina, and Bislig, will shift to online learning until further notice. 

Local government officials and disaster risk reduction offices continue to remind the public to stay alert, follow official advisories, and observe safety protocols as aftershocks persist throughout the province.

Even stronger earthquakes hit neighboring Davao Oriental province earlier, with the strongest rocking the area with a magnitude 7.4 quake in the morning of Oct. 10, followed by a magnitude 6.9 about 10 hours later. (Queenie Casio / MindaNews)