SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique –The Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Antique assessment team said the 6.9 magnitude earthquake on September 30, 2025, also felt in Panay Island aggravated the previous cracks in three schools in the province.
Following reports about widening cracks, DepEd-Antique engineer Rex Galero said the team conducted a structural integrity assessment of three classrooms at Imparayan Elementary School (ES) and Sibalom Central School in Sibalom, and at Cuyapiao Elementary School in Patnongon on Thursday.
“[The team was] able to confirm the cracks on their classrooms aggravated by the earthquake,” he said on Friday.
He said they recommended temporarily vacating the affected classrooms and transferring to other available rooms for their classes.
Galero said they also inspected Pandan Vocational School in Pandan town on Friday to confirm the reported damage.
“On Oct. 6, we will be inspecting the Danawan ES in Tobias Fornier. We have invited the Department of Public Works and Highways and the municipal engineer to join us,” he said.
He said the head of Danawan ES previously complained that the school stands on a landslide-prone area.
“We might need to recommend relocation of the school because of the loose soil,” Galero said.
He said they plan to finish the ocular inspection of the 19 schools with reported damage in the province next week.
After the inspections, they will be recommending to the DepEd central office the retrofitting or repair of the schools damaged by the earthquake. (PNA)
