BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan stood firm on his decision to declare the suspension of classes in the city during the prevalence of bad weather condition specifically within the monsoon season before the prescribed decline for local executives to declare class suspension before 4:30 in the morning.
The local chief executive pointed out it is important for him to consider the latest weather forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) to help him formulate the decision on what levels will be suspended.
“We stand by our decision to declare class suspension every early morning when there is the prevalence of bad weather condition due to the monsoon season, our people must understand that we base our decision to suspend classes on the latest PAGASA weather forecast which is issued every early morning. We do not want to commit the mistake of declaring class suspension the day before only to find out that fair weather condition will prevail the following day,” Domogan stressed.
He explained that it is better if there are typhoon signals that prevail in the city because we immediately refer to the existing rules and regulations crafted in declaring the suspension of classes during typhoons. But in the situation where monsoon rains prevail, the decision to suspend classes is left to the sound discretion of local executives who have to assess and evaluate decisions before coming out with decisions relative to the said matter.
According to him, even if there will be classes in the different levels during the onslaught of monsoon rains it is still the parents who will decide what will be the best for their children, whether to attend classes or stay at home for safety reasons.
He claimed that residents should not compare the situation in the city to the situation in Benguet because the situation in the province is completely different, considering schoolchildren have to walk for several hours and pass through dangerous routes just to reach their schools. In the city, schools are more accessible because schoolchildren can avail of various modes of transportation to attend classes.
Under existing rules and regulations, when Typhoon Signal No. 1 is hoisted over an area, classes in the pre-school and elementary levels are suspended; when Typhoon Signal No. 2 prevails, classes from pre-school to high school are automatically suspended; and while in instances when Typhon Signal No. 3 prevails over an area, classes in all levels including work in government offices are automatically suspended.
He underscored it will still be the final decision of the parents that will prevail during the prevalence of bad weather conditions because they know what will be the best for their children, and it would be unfair for the parents to put the blame on him when there is no declaration of suspension of classes during inclement weather considering that the decision to do so is based on a thorough assessment not only of the members of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) but also other concerned stakeholders who share their views on the matter.
He added that parents should also understand that their children will replace the days when classes were suspended by attending make up classes that will be scheduled by school authorities on Saturdays outside the current school calendar. By Dexter A. See