The Department of Education (DepEd)-Dumaguete City Division announced yesterday afternoon that all elementary and secondary schools in the capital city are safe following a post-earthquake inspection.

Dr. Juditha Mapue, DepEd-Dumaguete assistant division superintendent, told the Philippine News Agency that immediately after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook the Visayas on Tuesday evening, September 30, classes were suspended the next day to ensure the safety of learners and teachers.

“We asked the City Engineer’s Office [CEO] to inspect the different schools in the city to determine the structural integrity of the buildings and other facilities before allowing the resumption of classes,” Mapue said.

She said 18 elementary schools and eight senior high schools were inspected, and the CEO declared all of them safe by noon yesterday.

The DepEd city division also announced that classes would resume, although Mapue said they do not expect full attendance in the afternoon.

She noted that the learners shifted to modular learning as the DepEd had prepared for this kind of emergency.

Meanwhile, academic institutions also took the initiative to cancel classes at all levels after the tremor shook many parts of Negros Oriental, while heavy rains triggered flooding in the capital city.

Among those were Silliman University, Negros Oriental State University, St. Paul University, and Colegio de Sta. Catalina de Alejandria, along with the local government units of Sibulan and Tanjay City, which also declared the suspension of classes.

The temblor with its epicenter in Bogo, Cebu, just right across Negros Island, was felt at Intensities 3, 4 and 5 in different parts of the province.

So far, there have been no reports of significant damage to buildings, structures or individuals. (PNA)