MANILA — Malacañang ordered public and private schools across Metro Manila and 15 provinces to shift to alternative learning modes on Friday, September 4, 2026, responding to simultaneous environmental hazards caused by severe weather and cross-border air pollution, according to GMA News.
The directive, issued early Friday through Memorandum Circular No. 134, mandates the suspension of physical classes in favor of alternative delivery modalities. The policy covers both public and private institutions, though local chief executives retain the authority to issue more extensive suspensions depending on conditions in their specific jurisdictions, as noted by the Philippine Star.
The National Capital Region is joined by 15 provinces under the scope of the Palace order: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro. According to government reports, separate announcements from local government units also confirmed wide-ranging face-to-face class suspensions as continuous downpours triggered by the southwest monsoon impacted Luzon.
Administration officials framed the directive as a continuity measure designed to protect students and staff from health and safety risks while ensuring that academic instruction proceeds through alternative learning channels. The dual disruptions stem from heavy rainfall linked to the enhanced southwest monsoon, locally known as the habagat, combined with poor air quality produced by haze drifting from peatland fires in Indonesia.
The state weather bureau issued heavy rainfall advisories for several of the affected regions, warning of potential flooding and landslide risks in vulnerable areas. Concurrently, environmental health monitors tracked deteriorating air quality levels across parts of the country as regional wind patterns carried smoke across maritime borders. Local officials continue to monitor both weather and air quality metrics to determine if further adjustments to school schedules will be necessary in the coming days.
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