DepEd Zamboanga del Sur bans teachers from vlogging during class, using TikTok in school

The Zamboanga del Sur division of the Department of Education has issued a memorandum prohibiting teachers from recording videos, making vlogs, and including students in any video content during class or office hours.

On Division Memorandum No. 124 series of 2025, DepEd Zamboanga Del Sur said it's part of its "ongoing commitment to maintaining conducive learning environment and ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of quality education."

"The practice of creating and sharing videos during instructional time can cause unnecessary distractions and negatively impact the focus of both teachers and learners," the agency said. "Additionally, the inclusion of learners in such recordings raises concerns regarding privacy, data protection, and their overall well-being."

To "maintain professionalism and the integrity of the educational environment," DepEd Zamboanga reminded teachers to:

• avoid recording or streaming videos for personal or public sharing during class hours.
• ensure that students are not included in any vlogs, recordings, or social media content related to personal engagements.
• prioritize the structured and uninterrupted delivery of lessons.

It also cited preexisting orders as basis for the latest mandate, including:

• DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012 (Child Protection Policy), which emphasizes the protection of learners from exploitation;
• DepEd Order No. 83, s. 2003 (Prohibition on the Use of Mobile Phones and Pagers During Class Hours), which reinforces the need to minimize distractions in the classroom;
• DepEd Order No. 5, s. 2024 (Policy Guidelines on the Rationalization of Teachers' Workload), which highlights their responsibility to dedicate working hours to actual teaching;
• DepEd Order No. 8, s. 2023 (Participation of Teachers in Volunteer Work and Extracurricular Activities), which reiterates that non-academic activities must not interfere with learning delivery.

Memo 124 also specifically instructs teachers to refrain from using the platform TikTok in school premises and while in uniform.

"Non-compliance with this directive may result in appropriate administrative actions," the agency said.