QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Thursday reiterated the city
government’s implementation of localized suspension during inclement
weather.
She cited the city’s Memorandum Circular No. 10-A of 2022 which
provides the guidelines for suspending classes due to typhoons,
flooding, other weather disturbances, and calamities.
This memorandum is based on the Department of Education (DepEd) Order
No. 037 of 2022, Belmonte noted.
“Our city is the largest city in the Metro and constitutes around
one-fourth of the entire region’s land area,” the mayor said.
“There are instances when it will rain hard in Fairview in District 5
and not a single drop in Tatalon in District 4. Sometimes, light to
moderate rains in Bagong Silangan (District 2) will cause flooding but
will not have the same effect in N.S. Amoranto (District 1).”
“Then there’s climate change causing extreme and sudden weather
changes. That is why we need to implement a localized suspension
scheme, otherwise, the education of the students in the entire city
will suffer,” she stated.
The localized guidelines provide that onsite and online classes in all
public schools from kinder to Grade 12 are automatically suspended
when the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services
Administration (PAG-ASA) declares: (1) a tropical cyclone wind signal;
(2) an orange or red rainfall warning, or (3) flood warning.
Classes from Kinder to Grade 12 (Senior High School) in public schools
are also suspended when the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and
Seismology (PHIVOLCS) announces an earthquake warning with Intensity V
or higher.
Belmonte, however, said should there be no PAG-ASA warning, the
guidelines provide that the QC Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council shall recommend a city-wide suspension based on their
pre-disaster risk assessment.
If there is no DRRMO announcement by 4 a.m., barangays will have until
4:30 a.m. to announce a suspension of morning classes in public
schools in their respective jurisdictions.
In consideration of afternoon classes, QCDRRMC may recommend a
citywide suspension no later than 10 a.m. In the absence of such,
barangays shall have until 10:30 a.m. to announce localized suspension
of the afternoon classes in public schools, the mayor said.
According to Belmonte, the city government is giving private schools
the discretion to suspend classes or follow the city-wide or localized
guidelines, as requested by some private school administrators, and
based on DepEd Order No. 37-s2022.
Private school authorities are in the best position to suspend classes
since they know where their learners live and how they get to school,
the mayor said.
She stressed that the welfare of the children is of paramount
importance and that their parents or guardians will not be faulted for
not allowing their children to attend classes during bad weather
conditions.
“We understand their concern. Therefore, we advise them that the
children are considered excused from school activities if they cannot
attend classes due to weather conditions,” she noted.
DepEd-QC Schools Division Office Head Carleen Sedilla assured parents
that there will be no sanctions on students who cannot come to class.