October 20, 2020 – The Department of Education (DepEd) is saddened to learn about the deaths of teachers and learners in these difficult times. We offer our sincere condolences to the bereaved families and loved ones of our DepEd family members. Our field offices are in contact with the grieving families to provide urgent relief and assistance.

We would like to request the public to respect the families’ privacy and avoid speculating on the cause of death.

Suicide is a sensitive and complex issue. We would like to appeal to everyone to stop directly connecting such to modules or distance learning. We have received police blotters, incident reports, statements of families, and initial investigation of the cases, and none of them referred to distance learning as the primary cause.

We caution the public against groups and individuals who use these unfortunate events to discredit the efforts of the Department.

We will continue to reach out to our teachers, staff, and learners to provide them with vital mental health and psychosocial services. We likewise request everyone to stay in touch and stay connected to our loved ones during these challenging times.

Together, we shall overcome.

END

For urgent mental health support, you may contact DOH’s National Center for Mental Health 24/7 Crisis Hotline numbers:

 

• 0917 899 8727(USAP)

• 989 8727(USAP)