Edcom: Negros lost most school days to natural hazards from 2024 to 2026

BACOLOD CITY—The Negros Island Region lost an average of 26 school days per division to natural hazards and calamities from 2024 to 2026, the highest recorded in the country during the period, according to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom II).

The figure means students in the region missed more than a month of classroom instruction because of weather-related hazards and other disasters, based on data submitted by the Department of Education Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DepEd DRRMS) as of May 5.

READ: Heavy rains affect 3,600 Negrenses; evacuees begin to return home

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Nationwide, school divisions lost an average of 15 instructional days during the same period, equivalent to nearly a full month of classes.

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Central Visayas ranked second with an average of 22.2 lost school days, followed by the Ilocos Region with 22.1 and the Bicol Region with 21.8.

Calabarzon followed with 20.1, while Western Visayas and the Cordillera Administrative Region recorded 19.5 and 19.4, respectively.

At the other end, Region IX had the lowest average at 2.4 lost school days, followed by Caraga with 4.8, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with 5.2, Region XI with 5.9 and Region X with 6.5.

The National Capital Region averaged 14.9 lost school days during the period.

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Edcom II said the figures covered class disruptions specifically caused by natural hazards and disasters. They did not include lost school days due to local holidays, celebrations, off-class activities and nonteaching tasks.

The data underscore the continuing impact of disasters on learning, particularly in regions that regularly experience typhoons, flooding, drought and other climate-related hazards. /mcm