The Manila Times
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Monday that classes in areas affected by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in General Santos City were suspended after at least one school was damaged. "Based on [an] initial report, one building [of] Matanao National High School in Davao del Sur collapsed after the earthquake," the DepEd said in a statement in Filipino and English. "Because of the effect of the earthquake and … aftershocks, classes at all levels in affected areas in Mindanao were suspended on orders of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.," it said. Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in a statement that in accordance with Marcos' orders, "we immediately mobilized our engineers in the affected regions, particularly in DepEd Regional Office XII, to inspect school facilities impacted by the earthquake." The DepEd is deploying structural engineers from its central office "to support damage assessments and assist our regional teams on the ground," he added. Angara was in Cotabato City when the earthquake struck, and said he was “closely monitoring developments in the affected areas.” “The safety of our learners, teachers, and school personnel remains our top priority, and we will take all necessary measures to ensure that schools are safe before classes resume," he added.
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