WATCH: DepEd chief explains modified academic calendar for Taal-affected schools

MANILA, Philippines — Schools where classes were suspended because of the eruption of Taal Volcano in Batangas will have to hold classes on weekends to make up for missed school days, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said Monday.

She said the DepEd has prepared a modified school calendar that will "enable the affected schools to catch up" and meet the required number of school days for the academic year.

If classes resume on February 3 as the DepEd hopes, students in Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna, whose classes were cancelled because of the eruption and because of the evacuation of residents in areas at risk from the eruption will need to come in on Saturdays for nine weeks from February to March.

They will also have classes on April 4 and 5, which are a Saturday and a Sunday.

"We hope that we'll be able to complete the required number of school days, face-to-face interactions by April," Briones said.

Under the modified school calendar, final examinatons for Grades 6 and 12 will be held on March 20-21. Those for Grades 1-5 and 7-11 will be on March 27-28.

Graduation and moving-up ceremonies will be from April 1 to 6.

Briones said volcanic activity on Taal affected 1,108 schools and around 644,080 learners in Batangas province, where the Taal Volcano is.

"Schools were affected largely by ashfall and the affected divisions are largely in Batangas, Cavite and Laguna," she also said.