Regular weekday classes in all public and private schools across Negros Oriental are set to resume on Monday, August 10, 2026, following a province-wide suspension on August 7 — but with reinforced health protocols requiring symptomatic students and school personnel to stay home, according to an executive order issued by Governor Manuel L. Sagarbarria.
Governor Sagarbarria signed Executive Order No. 50-A, Series of 2026, as a supplemental measure to Executive Order No. 50, which had suspended classes to allow schools time to conduct cleaning, disinfection, and sanitation activities amid a reported increase in conjunctivitis — commonly known as sore eyes — cases across the province.
Symptomatic Learners and Staff Told to Stay Home
The Integrated Provincial Health Office, after assessing the current epidemiologic situation, recommended the additional safeguards contained in Executive Order No. 50-A. Provincial Health Officer II Dr. Liland Zoila B. Estacion identified the primary risk for continued transmission as the attendance of learners and school personnel who remain symptomatic with conjunctivitis.
Parents and guardians are strongly advised not to send children to school if they continue to experience symptoms including red eyes, eye discharge, excessive tearing, eye pain, or irritation. Teaching and non-teaching personnel exhibiting similar symptoms are likewise advised not to physically report for work.
Learners and school employees may return once their symptoms have resolved or when they have been medically cleared, where necessary, the order states.
School Heads Required to Monitor and Report Cases
Under Executive Order No. 50-A, school heads, teachers, and other personnel are directed to exercise reasonable vigilance in identifying students who appear symptomatic. Schools must promptly inform the concerned parent or guardian and recommend appropriate medical assessment or consultation.
Symptomatic learners are to be advised to remain at home until they are symptom-free or medically cleared. The provincial government said these measures are intended to prevent further transmission while allowing the orderly resumption of face-to-face classes.
School heads are additionally required to immediately report any clustering or unusual increase in conjunctivitis cases to their respective Primary Care Facility and to the Integrated Provincial Health Office through established disease surveillance and reporting mechanisms. All reporting must comply with applicable laws and regulations on confidentiality, data privacy, and public health reporting.
Infection Prevention Measures to Continue Inside Schools
All educational institutions are directed to continue implementing infection prevention and control measures. These include frequent handwashing with soap and water or the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, avoiding touching or rubbing the eyes, and refraining from sharing towels, handkerchiefs, face towels, eye cosmetics, and other personal items.
Schools are also instructed to continue promoting proper respiratory and hand hygiene within their premises. Parents and guardians are encouraged to seek prompt medical consultation for learners whose symptoms persist, worsen, or become severe.
Ongoing Cleaning and Disinfection Required
The order requires all schools to sustain routine cleaning and disinfection of classrooms, comfort rooms, clinics, learning materials, and frequently touched surfaces. The province had suspended classes on August 7 specifically to give educational institutions time to complete these sanitation activities.
Following the completion of those activities, authorities said schools are expected to be ready for the resumption of classes from an environmental sanitation standpoint.
Coordinated Health Monitoring to Continue
The Integrated Provincial Health Office, in coordination with Schools Division Offices, local government units, and school authorities, will continue monitoring the situation, providing technical assistance, and recommending additional measures when necessary, according to the executive order.
Executive Order No. 50-A cited Republic Act No. 7160, the Local Government Code, and Republic Act No. 11332, the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act, as among the legal bases for the provincial government's response.
The provincial government emphasized that cooperation among schools, parents, teachers, local authorities, and health officials remains important in limiting the spread of conjunctivitis while keeping schools safely operational.
By the Numbers
- August 7, 2026 — Date of province-wide class suspension under Executive Order No. 50
- August 10, 2026 — Date of scheduled resumption of regular weekday classes
- Executive Order No. 50-A, Series of 2026 — Supplemental order issued by Governor Sagarbarria reinforcing health protocols
- Republic Act No. 7160 — Local Government Code cited as legal basis
- Republic Act No. 11332 — Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases Act also cited as legal basis
Why This Matters
The province-wide conjunctivitis outbreak prompted two executive orders within days, reflecting the scale of concern among Negros Oriental health and education authorities. The reinforced protocols — particularly the directive for symptomatic learners and staff to remain home — directly affect thousands of students and school personnel across all levels of public and private education in the province. How effectively schools, parents, and local health offices coordinate under Executive Order No. 50-A will determine whether face-to-face classes can continue operating safely or whether further suspensions become necessary.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of the Negros Oriental Provincial Government