Another teacher in ICU: Stroke victim linked to classroom observation stress, days after Teacher Agnes tragedy

Another teacher in ICU: Stroke victim linked to classroom observation stress, days after Teacher Agnes tragedy

Just days after the heartbreaking death of a public school teacher in Muntinlupa during a classroom observation (CO), another educator is now fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after suffering a stroke while preparing for the same evaluation.

This new incident has intensified the already heated call for the Department of Education (DepEd) to halt and review the implementation of Classroom Observations, which teachers’ groups are calling "oppressive" and "deadly."

"Rushed to the Hospital"

A distressing report circulating among teachers' networks reveals that a male public school teacher (identity withheld for privacy) was rushed to the hospital late last night. According to a co-teacher, the victim was up late preparing lesson plans and visual aids for the classroom observation scheduled for the following day.

"He was preparing his lesson and visual aids for today's CO, but he was rushed to the hospital because he had a stroke," the report stated.

As of this writing, the teacher remains unconscious in the ICU due to a blood clot on the left side of his brain and requires immediate surgery.

The "Sad Reality" of the Profession

Colleagues of the victim expressed frustration over the "sad reality" of the teaching profession in the country. The report highlighted how teachers are forced to endure sleepless nights (puyat), extreme fatigue, and immense pressure to comply with performance ratings, often at the expense of their health.

Compounding the tragedy is the lack of medical support. The victim's colleagues are now rallying to pool money (pag-aambagan) to cover the expected medical bills, which are expected to reach hundreds of thousands of pesos. This burden frequently falls on the shoulders of underpaid educators when the government's health support falls short.

A Pattern of Tragedy

This development comes less than a week after the death of Teacher Agnes Buenaflor on January 7, 2026. Buenaflor, a teacher at Pedro E. Diaz High School in Muntinlupa, reportedly collapsed in front of her students and observers while conducting her teaching demonstration. She passed away shortly after.

TDC Chairman Basas: "Return to PAST"

​Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) National Chairperson Benjo Basas issued a strong statement following these successive tragedies, arguing that the Department of Education’s (DepEd) current evaluation mechanisms have become "deadly."

​Basas urged the leadership to scrap the document-heavy Results-Based Performance Management System (RPMS) and consider reverting to the Performance Appraisal System for Teachers (PAST).

​"We need to ask ourselves if the RPMS is actually improving the quality of education or if it is just killing our teachers with fatigue and anxiety," Basas stated. "It may be time to return to the PAST (Performance Appraisal System for Teachers), which was simpler, less bureaucratic, and focused on actual competency rather than a 'paper chase' for visual aids and intricate lesson plans that exhaust our educators."

​Basas emphasized that under the old PAST system, the evaluation was straightforward and did not require the "theatrics" that the current classroom observation tool demands.

DepEd: "Transformation is Already Underway"

​Amidst the outrage, the Department of Education (DepEd) has clarified that it is already in the process of transforming the classroom observation system to prevent precisely this kind of pressure.

Secretary Sonny Angara recently announced significant changes to the Results-Based Performance Management System (RPMS), emphasizing that observations should be "developmental, not punitive."

​Key Reforms Being Implemented:

• ​Shift to "Walkthroughs": Moving away from high-pressure, scripted full-period demonstrations, DepEd is introducing shorter, 5-10 minute "formative walkthroughs" designed to give helpful feedback rather than a grade.

• ​Reduced Frequency: Guidelines for School Year 2025-2026 have reduced the required number of rated observations, with some memorandum circulars suggesting a drop from four annual observations to just one or two.

• ​Non-Graded Options: The agency is pushing for "ungraded" observations that focus purely on mentoring and coaching, aiming to remove the anxiety that led to these recent medical emergencies.