BAGUIO CITY March 18 – The city legislative body unanimously approved a resolution requesting the various Baguio-based public and private higher education to provide the necessary transportation assistance to their stranded students to allow them to go home during the duration of suspended classes in line with the implementation of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine.
The resolution authored by all members of the city legislative body was presented during the recent special session where a number of issues were tackled as part of the city government’s interventions to help reduce the impact of the enhanced community quarantine on the overall economic activities and the lives of the people who have been confined in their homes over the past several days.
Earlier, the city government declared the suspension of classes in all levels both private and public was until March 22, 2020 but the same was overtaken by the eventual declaration of President Rodrigo Duterte placing the entire Luzon under a state of enhanced community quarantine that extended the suspension of classes in all levels, public and private, up to April 15, 2020.
The resolution stated that a huge number of students from the provinces who are studying in the different Baguio-based higher education institutions opted to stay in the city considering that the city government declared the suspension of classes in all levels to be good for only ten days from March 13-22, 2020 so as not to incur expenses on their part but the sudden placement of Luzon on an enhanced community quarantine and extending the suspension of classes up to April 15, 2020 compelled them to decide to go home.
However, the said students remain stranded in the city because of the sudden suspension of mass transport that prevent them from going back to the provinces and their limited allowances are now being depleted.
The city legislative argued the administrations of Baguio-based higher education institutions should take the initiative of extending the needed assistance to their stranded students by providing them with the needed transportation from the city to their provinces.
According to the resolution, only 15 percent of the students enrolled in the different public and private higher education institutions are residents of the city and majority them come from the different provinces.
The city legislative body expressed confidence the administrators of the Baguio-based higher education institutions will adhere to the plea of the stranded students considering the prevailing situation that the country is facing at the moment.
By Dexter A. See
