Cebu Province and Cebu City are standardizing class suspension guidelines after recent haze caused confusion between DepEd's PM2.5 metrics and DENR-EMB's Air Quality Index scale.
Disconnects between public and private school metrics were highlighted on Oct. 20, 2026, after local emissions produced an unhealthy AQI of 107 in Metro Cebu on Oct. 17.
Officials plan to finalize a common position paper by Oct. 26, 2026, to set clear AQI thresholds, protective measures, and class suspension protocols across school districts.
CEBU Province and Cebu City are developing standardized guidelines for class suspensions during periods of poor air quality, aiming to balance student health with the need for continuous learning.
The push for a unified policy follows recent episodes of haze in Metro Cebu, which prompted uncoordinated responses from local government units. During an open forum on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, officials highlighted that public and private schools have been using different metrics to decide when it is unsafe for students to attend classes, leaving local leaders without clear parameters for making timely decisions.
Reconciling different measurements
A major source of confusion has been the disconnect between the guidelines used by the Department of Education (DepEd) and the public advisories issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB). DepEd memorandums base localized class suspensions on PM2.5, which measures the concentration of fine particulate matter in the air. In contrast, the EMB publishes the Air Quality Index (AQI), a scale designed to make environmental data easier for the general public to understand.
“The biggest revelation was the circulars were looking at a different measurement versus unsa gi-pagawas sa DENR-EMB. They were publishing AQI numbers whereas ang atong mga memo sa DepEd were looking at PM 2.5,” said Elisse Nicole Catalan, provincial health consultant.
This difference meant stakeholders were not always referring to the same severity levels when determining whether classes should be canceled. To establish a common baseline, environmental officials clarified how the two metrics align. An AQI of zero to 50 translates to a PM2.5 concentration of zero to 25 micrograms per cubic meter. An AQI of 51 to 100 matches a PM2.5 of 25.1 to 35, while an AQI of 101 to 150 corresponds to 35.1 to 45.
Local pollution drivers and health risks
The recent drop in air quality stems primarily from localized emissions, including motor vehicles and industrial operations. Weather conditions such as weak winds and temperature inversions have trapped these pollutants in the atmosphere over the region. On Saturday, Oct. 17, the EMB recorded an unhealthy AQI of 107 in Metro Cebu, driven entirely by local sources rather than transboundary emissions from other areas.
Fine particulate matter poses a significant health risk because the microscopic particles can bypass the respiratory system’s natural defenses and enter the bloodstream. Children are particularly vulnerable due to their higher respiratory rates. Medical experts also identified older individuals and pregnant women as highly susceptible to PM2.5 exposure.
Local health officials have already observed an upward trend in respiratory consultations, including asthma cases. While they are still evaluating how much of the increase is directly tied to air pollution versus other factors like high temperatures, pediatric pulmonologists have urged immediate preventive measures.
Standardizing the response
To address these health risks without unnecessarily disrupting education schedules, local leaders are working to set clear, provincewide thresholds. Cebu pediatric pulmonologists recommended taking protective action when the AQI reaches 100, warning that waiting for higher levels puts children in danger.
“Let’s have uniformity. After all, it’s the same concern. It does not matter if public or private,” Gov. Pamela Baricuatro said during the provincial forum.
While local chief executives retain the authority to suspend classes, the goal is to provide a common basis for those decisions across the 44 municipalities and 58 school districts in the province.
In Cebu City, officials are considering a slightly different operational threshold following an inter-agency meeting on Thursday, Oct. 15. The City Government’s proposed arrangement would give school administrators the discretion to continue classes if the AQI falls between 151 and 200, a range classified as “very unhealthy.” However, schools would be required to implement protective measures, such as mandating face masks for students. Under this city-level proposal, classes would automatically be suspended once the AQI exceeds 200, though Mayor Nestor Archival retains the authority to intervene earlier for public welfare.
To mitigate learning losses when classes are canceled, the Cebu Province schools division has rolled out Project HELPS, an initiative providing activity sheets to keep public school students engaged at home. Meanwhile, the Cebu City Government is exploring the procurement of face masks for approximately 150,000 public school students to reduce their exposure during commutes and outdoor activities.
Addressing geographical gaps
As officials consolidate these recommendations into a common position paper due on Monday, Oct. 26, they must also address the limited geographic scope of current air-quality monitoring. Existing measurements are concentrated in Central Cebu, raising questions about whether the data accurately reflects the situation in northern and southern towns where wind direction and local conditions vary.
Health and environmental authorities are evaluating whether additional monitoring infrastructure is necessary to provide more localized data. The finalized guidelines are expected to clarify the exact air-quality thresholds, establish alternative protective measures like restricting outdoor activities and dictate how early class suspension announcements should be made across all grade levels. / CDF, CAV