MANILA, Oct 13, (Xinhua): The Philippines' Department of Education (DepEd) has suspended face-to-face classes on Monday and Tuesday in public schools in Metro Manila due to influenza-like illnesses and recent earthquakes. The DepEd said in an advisory released on Sunday that the two-day suspension aims to "provide time for disinfection, sanitation, and building inspection" of public schools in Metro Manila.

The advisory did not provide the number of cases of the respiratory illness. According to the Department of Health (DOH), the number of influenza-like illnesses at the national level is 8 percent lower this year than last year, with 121,716 cases recorded from January to Sept. 27 this year, compared to 132,538 cases logged in the same period of last year.

"(The advisory) is a sound precaution for local and institutional health authorities to practice preventive measures to keep the number down," DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo said on Monday. The DepEd also said it will conduct building inspections in schools in Metro Manila during the two-day school break following the recent earthquakes that shook various parts of the country. During the two-day suspension, schools are directed to implement Alternative Delivery Modalities, using either synchronous or asynchronous learning methods.