SENATE President Sherwin Gatchalian has urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to ensure that its protocols against the effects of El Niño prioritize student safety without further aggravating learning loss.

Gatchalian called for localized rather than blanket class suspensions, warning that widespread cancellations of classes could further undermine students’ academic progress and deepen the country’s ongoing education crisis.

“Hindi lang ang kaligtasan ng mga mag-aaral ang pinagbabantaan ng El Niño, kundi pati na rin kakayahan nilang matuto. Kailangang tiyakin nating hindi uurong ang kaalaman ng ating mga mag-aaral dahil palalalain nito ang krisis natin sa edukasyon,” Gatchalian said.

A policy note issued by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) found that a typical public elementary school lost 20 teaching days during School Year 2025–2026 due to class suspensions caused by various hazards.

The policy note also revealed that for every suspended school day, learners lost approximately 1.4 days of reading progress.

Gatchalian’s call came after DepEd announced its 4H Framework, which provides guidelines for suspending learning activities amid the threat of El Niño and extreme heat.

Under the framework, all physical and home-based learning activities will be suspended when the heat index reaches 42 degrees Celsius and above.

The senator stressed the importance of balancing precautionary measures against extreme heat with the need to maintain learning continuity, particularly as the education sector continues to address persistent literacy and learning gaps.