[Inside the Newsroom] Of starts, schools, and shocks

On the evening of Sunday, June 7, I had already jotted down numbers and other background information on the education sector — issues I had previously reported on — yet I was still a bundle of nerves about the following day’s coverage.

You see, I am an overthinker. June 8, the start of a new school year in public schools, would be my first time covering the opening of classes and my on-camera debut as Rappler’s education reporter.

As it turned out, I was in for a more challenging coverage. You know what happened that day. Earthquake. Magnitude 7.8. Sarangani. Mindanao. 

Hello, I am Jelo Ritzhie Mantaring. Let me share with you how that day went for an education reporter like me. 

My team set out for our coverage at 4:30 am that Monday, checking preparations and finally the opening of gates to students at several public schools in Quezon City. I roamed around, talking to as many people as I could, to know about what they anticipated for the school year, given the new trimestral system, among other new policies implemented.

FIRST DAY. Parents send their children to kindergarten classrooms on the first day of classes at the Commonwealth Elementary School in Quezon City on June 8, 2026. Photo by Jelo Ritzhie Mantaring/Rappler

At the Commonwealth Elementary School, I saw students, still carrying their bags, line up at 5:45 am for the flag ceremony. Surprisingly, the ASEAN 2026 anthem was part of the program. And, to energize them, teachers played viral TikTok sounds as dance exercises. 

I reminisced about my days as a young pupil as students entered their classrooms and parents started to leave the premises.

I listened to the hopes of parents for their children who entered schooling for the first time. I tried to understand the sentiments of teachers and principals on the policy reforms made by the Department of Education this school year.

By the third location of our coverage, a nearby public high school, I met a reporter-friend. I left my bag with him so I could move around more freely as I interviewed the school principal about the Strengthened Senior High School Program. 

Then, suddenly, he was nowhere to be found — he had left my bag unattended! And then Rappler’s internal chat channels were pinging nonstop: a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake had struck Sarangani.

Hours later, that explained why my reporter-friend disappeared — he was already on his way to Mindanao. His coverage was diverted; so was my Rappler Recap of the day, reangled to lead with the situation down south. 

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I clutched at my notebook — the notes on policy changes and learning scores I prepared the night before, while still definitely relevant, would have to be pushed down as second lede. The biggest story would be the earthquake. 

The impromptu changes made my voice crack multiple times as I did the live recap. My head was filled with thoughts like: With this disruption, how will the students catch up when they are already lagging behind to begin with?

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I watched again the video of young learners crying and screaming while the ground shook during their flag raising ceremony. I took another look at photos of toppled school buildings. I read once more the announcement of class suspension — on the first day of school. And I asked myself: Will the new DepEd guidelines on class suspensions truly help the students learn what they are supposed to learn in what should have been onsite classes? With thousands of classrooms destroyed, how many actual class days will be lost in these communities down the school year even with flexible learning modes?

As I write this, the Rappler newsroom is abuzz with ideas on how we will follow this story through. I would appreciate story leads and ideas to pursue. You can also tag me in the Education channel on the Rappler app. – Rappler.com

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