Abstract: The sudden transition to emergency remote education (ERE) caused by the pandemic has been a highly complex undertaking for teachers and students alike. For developing countries, such a disruption only aggravates the pre-existing global education crisis and influences the sector in unprecedented ways. Thus, we explored how teachers and students from higher education in a developing country adapt to ERE during the pandemic. Specifically, we attempted to identify the common challenges faced by teachers and students and their coping strategies to handle pandemic-induced stress. To this end, we conducted a comparative cross-sectional study from October to November 2021 with 78 teachers and 94 students from a higher education institution in Manila, Philippines. Our results show that while self-regulation is the greatest challenge among students, it is the conduciveness of the home environment for teachers. Interestingly, although teachers and students have varying concerns, both groups rely on acceptance, humor, and positive reframing as their coping strategies. By painting a holistic picture of the challenges and coping strategies of both teachers and students, education policymakers and administrators can make an informed decision on how to best continue ERE and prepare in advance for the resumption of school in the new normal.