Schools in Bulacan town seek elevated classrooms due to tidal floods

HAGONOY, BULACAN – As tidal flooding continues to disrupt classes and inundate campuses, school officials here are calling for elevated school buildings to keep students learning despite rising waters.

The 4.9- to 5.2-foot (ft) high tides that struck Hagonoy during the second week of classes for School Year 2026-2027 forced many schools to suspend in-person instruction and shift to Alternative Delivery Mode through modular and online learning.

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The hardest-hit schools are in the Hagonoy West District, which covers communities nearest Manila Bay, including the villages of San Nicolas, Sagrada, Sta. Elena, San Pascual, Sta. Monica, San Jose, Mercado, Sto. Rosario, Sta. Cruz, San Roque and Buga.

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The island villages of Tibaguin and Pugad, located at the mouth of Manila Bay, are also regularly submerged during high tides.

“At 4.9 to 5.2 ft, our communities, homes, roads and even school grounds are already underwater,” said Lourdes Villena, district supervisor of Hagonoy West District under the Department of Education’s Schools Division of Bulacan.

At Hagonoy West Central Elementary School, Principal Ma. Irene San Juan said first-floor classrooms have become unusable.

“The first-floor classrooms can no longer be used because they are constantly soaked in water. We were still able to use them in 2025, but the high tides continue to worsen,” San Juan told the Inquirer.

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Pattern

She explained that high tides typically occur at night from November to May, but during the rainy months of June to September, floodwaters arrive in the morning, directly affecting school hours.

Although the provincial government upgraded the school grounds, San Juan said the improvements have not been enough to keep facilities dry during extreme high tides.

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The worsening situation has prompted school officials to rethink the design of future school buildings.

Merlito Tolentino, principal of Mercado Elementary School, said classrooms should be elevated above flood-prone grounds.

“I saw a new classroom design where the ground floor is left open and supported by large braces. These are the kinds of buildings suited for us if the school grounds cannot be fully elevated. This will end the miseries of our pupils, teachers and even parents,” he said.

For parents like 36-year-old Margareth Nicolas, the challenges are worth enduring.

Despite carrying her Grade 6 daughter through flooded streets to school, Nicolas said in-person learning remains the better option.

Enrollment drops

Tolentino said Mercado Elementary School’s enrollment dropped from 700 to about 650 students as some families transferred their children to nearby schools less affected by flooding.

The principal recalled that the 5.2-ft high tide on June 16 submerged the entire school compound.

Because of the recurring floods, schools in Hagonoy now closely monitor high-tide forecasts when planning classes.

Tolentino said school funds have been prioritized for essential infrastructure, including electrical systems and internet connectivity.

He also hopes a dike or protective wall can be built behind the school to shield it from tidal surges.

Villena noted that fishpond dikes previously provided some protection from high tides. However, many fishpond owners abandoned their operations after repeated flooding destroyed their properties, leaving communities more exposed.

At San Pascual Elementary School, Principal Celestino Villafuerte has requested the construction of school buildings designed specifically for flood-prone areas.

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“We need buildings where classrooms begin on the second and third floors because high tides regularly submerge the ground floor,” he said. /jpv