The new measure seeks to lessen the impact of adverse weather events to learning.
On Thursday, September 17, Malacañang said that guidelines on the suspension and resumption of classes are already being expedited in order to ensure clearer and more timely announcements amid unpredictable weather conditions.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the guidelines are being carefully reviewed and they are looking to clarify the roles of local government units (LGUs) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
Moreover, they aim to minimize confusion among students, parents, and school authorities.
Castro said there are instances when an advisory is issued but weather conditions suddenly improve. In contrast, there are days when classes are allowed to proceed only for heavy rains to occur later in the day.
“Minamadali po ito, dahil nga ang sabi ng Pangulo (Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.) kahapon na ang panahon ay paiba-iba lalo na ngayon at minsan biglang bubuhos ang ulan o bigla namang walang ulan. So, kinakailangan po itong mas mabilisan, kasi mas marami po kasing naapektuhan, mga bata at mga magulang kapag hindi agad nagkakaroon ng announcement,” said Castro.
The DepEd previously noted that under the proposed Executive Order, decisions on the suspension and resumption of classes can be automatic, localized, or granular, depending on the type and extent of the hazard.
However, decisions will come from local government units and these should be properly matched with weather alert levels in order to avoid confusion over whether announcements should come from the mayor, governor, LGU, or DepEd.
“Ang proposal kasi is sana magmumula sa local government pero kailangan din kapag anong klase red, yellow, so kailangan magkaroon ng pagtutugma para hindi magkagulo kung i-announce ba ng local, i-announce ng Mayor, i-announce Governor, i-announce ng DepEd. So, ganoon, pero pinapamadali ito ng Pangulo,” she added.
Meanwhile, in line with this, the DepEd to be as specific as possible in suspending classes to help protect learning time, especially when the situation varies among towns, barangays, or schools.
For localized suspensions, DepEd encourages LGUs to identify specific areas that are truly affected by the hazard. If the situation allows, a province may identify affected towns, while a city or town may specify affected barangays or schools.
“Our request is simple: be specific when you suspend. If the risk is limited to certain areas, identifying those areas can help schools in unaffected areas continue learning,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.
The proposed Executive Order also does not eliminate or diminish the power of local leaders to suspend classes, as it instead seeks to promote coordination with the local disaster risk reduction and management office and affected education authorities like the Schools Division Superintendent.
That is to ensure that decisions are based on the actual situation in their respective areas.
As of September 11, divisions recorded an average of four days of school lost nationwide. However, the impact varies greatly in several areas.
For example, in Region III, the regional average is nine lost school days, while Pampanga, which has areas submerged in floodwaters for over a month, having recorded 26.
In Region XII, the average is 8.4 days, while Sarangani province alone has recorded 28.
In the National Capital Region, the average is 8.2 days, while Caloocan has recorded 25.
Since classes opened, 34,775 schools, or 72.49 percent of DepEd schools nationwide, have experienced class suspensions as of September 10, the Department further noted.
“This is why the proposed Executive Order provides a more responsive framework for decisions based on actual conditions,” Angara stressed.
DepEd, meanwhile, also emphasized that safety remains a non-negotiable for any granular resumption, which will allow classes to resume when situation improves in localities.
It can only be considered if a broader or general suspension has already been implemented and a school, based on a documented assessment of the location itself, has determined that the situation is safe for the resumption of in-person classes.
Coordination or approval from the concerned LGU is required, especially if the LGU has already declared a suspension, to avoid conflicting announcements and confusion among students, parents, teachers, and the community.
“We are not asking schools to override an LGU suspension. Safety must first be established, and the required coordination or concurrence with the LGU is there to ensure that everyone is working from the same information and that there are no conflicting announcements,” Angara pointed out.
Therefore, this new framework also recognizes that the suspension and resumption of classes is a shared responsibility of LGUs and education authorities, and also respects the authority and existing protocols of local governments.
“Safety first, but when it is safe, we should also protect learning time. The objective is to suspend when and where the risk warrants it, resume when conditions are safe, and keep learning going wherever possible,” Angara added.
The proposed Executive Order was developed through consultations with key stakeholders in education, community, government, and local government.
It was approved by the Social Development Committee Cabinet Cluster last September 3.
