DepEd: Iloilo teachers' deaths not heatstroke-related

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) has refuted a report claiming two teachers died from heatstroke while conducting classes in Iloilo.

"According to the Schools Division Office concerned, no teacher was reported to have died due to heatstroke," DepEd said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

Official records showed that one teacher from Sta. Barbara died in February 2024 due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease, while another teacher passed away in March 2024 due to aneurysm. In both cases, the teachers were reportedly at home, not in class.

DepEd said the post of XFM Radyo Patrol Iloilo was "highly inaccurate and misleading."

"It is unfortunate that certain news outlets resort to sensationalizing the death of our teachers at the expense of true and factual reporting," the education department said.

DepEd extended its condolences to the families of the deceased teachers.

Thousands of schools in the Philippines have been suspending in-person classes since the start of April as parts of the country endured dangerously high temperatures during the dry season exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon and climate change.

DepEd has previously issued an advisory giving school heads the authority and discretion to shift to remote learning “in cases of extreme heat and other calamities that may compromise the health and safety of learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel.”  — Gaea Katreena Cabico