Who Has the Say?

On classes’ suspension and cancellation when there is no TCWS, who has the say? Is it the DepEd or the LGU?

On May 30-31, 2023, there is a social media exchange about why a certain mayor not declaring suspension or cancellation of work on classes last May 30 to 31, 2023. Note that no Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) is issued by the Weather Bureau, including other related agencies on such dates.

On October 28, 2022, The Department of Education (DepEd) through spokesperson Michael Poa reminded the Local Government Units (LGUs) that they must implement the latest class suspension guidelines in times of typhoons and other calamities issued in September of that year, following Department Order 37 or the Guidelines on the Cancellation or Suspension of Classes and Work in Schools in the Event of Natural Disasters, Power Outages/Power Interruptions, and other calamities.

“DepEd is against the unnecessary cancellation of classes and the use of our schools as billeting areas for events that are not related to the curriculum,” Poa said in the statement. “Your [LGU’s] support affords uninterrupted class sessions for our learners, and helps our teachers avoid unnecessary make-up classes, which pose an additional burden to their teaching load.” It is perhaps in this context that Sablayan Mayor Bong Marquez refused to issue an order of cancellation of classes in his area of jurisdiction on said dates. The letter and intent of such a directive are to give the education department an order to guard against unnecessary abruption of classes.

The DepEd Guidelines state that "If heavy rainfall warning is issued at the time when classes have already begun, the SCHOOL shall immediately suspend the classes and work and send everyone home if it is safe to do so. However, SCHOOLS are obliged to keep the students and personnel safe in school if traveling has become unsafe. " (Capitalization, mine) "SCHOOL" here refers to the school administrator.

The decision of that Local Government to suspend or cancel classes must be based on the assessment of its local DRRMO anchored on the weather bulletin issued on a particular period. Without such scientific input, a decision is yet to arrive. The LGU should not prioritize the online noise and social media pressure from the public in their decision-making.

But many LGUs tend to give in to the social media pressure that arises when one LGU decides to suspend classes. This should not be the case considering the different hazards present in each locality or area of a municipality. The push should come from the respective DRRM councils based on scientific data and not from the rantings of netizens or social media personalities and influencers. 

Therefore, the suspension of classes cannot be solely based on the declaration of other LGUs. It cannot be the basis for it’s no longer based on scientific data provided, for instance, by the DRRMO of a municipality. The declaration by any LCE cannot be driven by social media pressure, by allies or foes, or even by assertions or ranting from teachers and parents. As I have said, there should have a factual and scientific basis for doing such.

We are imparting bad values to children that when it rains coupled with strong winds on a particular morning, the classes must be outrightly suspended. There are even adults, government employees included, that are wishing to suspend work just because there is bad weather or because it is raining hard. It even teaches the youth to easily submit to hardships later in life as an individual and as a citizen.

The respective mayors or officials from other LGUs have all the rights to declare any executive orders on their respective jurisdictions independently as an autonomous entity as provided by the Local Government Code and other existing laws.

Each LGU has its independent executive issuances to follow by its constituency. Each LCE has its wisdom in governance and decisions on certain concerns. Therefore, going with the bandwagon is a no-no in governance as well as in life.

Regardless of such an order whether from the school officials or the mayor, it is the parents or guardians who are primarily responsible for the safety of their children. 

In fairness to DepEd, there are a lot of school heads who do not wait for the issuance of the LGU or the weather bureau but already decided on their own to suspend classes considering their community’s vulnerability and other factors. There as many school heads that I know already issued a cancellation of classes on the night of May 29. Those are the responsible and learned school administrators that take the cudgels and took responsibility for not waiting for the decision of any other higher authority. They are worth commending and considered climate-change resilient educator heroes.

Even with the absence of such order, in whatever weather we are experiencing, it is our prime duty as parents or guardians to decide if we will allow our children to go to school or not, thinking primordially of their safety. It is our freedom of choice as parents or guardians, first and foremost to spare them from danger brought about by inclement weather.

It is not fair to say that those who do not issue such an order in this particular situation do not care for the school children. And in some instances, inclement weather can be politicized too.

Those who are lambasting the local official for not issuing or issuing such an order do not trust their safety officers or the DRRs most especially the mayor deciding this way. By the way, every LCE also sits as chair of the LGU’s DRRMO and there are also representatives from DepEd like principals and district superintendents.

Or it is more to our tendency of relying too much on politicians which is not always good.

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(Photo: Biennard Capiral)