DepEd: Death of 2 Iloilo teachers not due to heatstroke

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday, April 24, debunked a report that two public school teachers in the town of Sta. Barbara, Iloilo died due to heatstroke while conducting in-person classes.

In an official statement, DepEd dismissed as “highly inaccurate and misleading” the report by radio station XFM Radyo Patrol Iloilo.

“According to the Schools Division Office concerned, no teacher was reported to have died due to heatstroke,” it said.

Based on official records, one of the teachers died in February due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease, while the other succumbed to aneurysm.

“In both instances, the teachers were reportedly at home,” DepEd said.

In a radio interview, Leonil Salvilla, spokesperson of the Schools Division Office of Iloilo, said the teachers from Sta. Barbara Central School had underlying medical conditions, which may be aggravated by the hot weather.IMT