Statement of Malacañabg on DILG Request for Authority in Suspending Classes
Malacañang appealed to the local government units (LGUs) to expedite the issuance of orders with regards to class suspension.
It is already a system in the Philippines that class suspensions do not only take place during Philippine holidays but as well as during bad weather. When there is a dangerous and heavy rain or a typhoon, the local government units usually announce the suspension of classes.
However, recently, the Department of Interior and Local Government also sought a power to suspend classes. According to DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, centralizing the authority of issuing class suspensions would allegedly pave the way for a more accurate and timely coordination with the local government units.
The class suspension is announced for the safety of the students. However, amid the request of the DILG, Malacañang recently maintained that the authority to suspend classes remain to be with the local government units. Based on a report on Inquirer, Palace press undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said Pres. Bongbong Marcos has yet to decide on the request of the Interior Secretary.
According to Castro, Pres. Bongbong Marcos still have no official answer to the request of DILG Sec. Jonvic Remulla as it has to be “studied first”. The Malacañang official further said if the proposal shows many benefits, then the President may give it his green signal.
“As of the moment, the current systems—where local government unit heads are the ones who declare class suspensions—will stay in place,” Casro said.
Based on the report, the Malacañang press officer acknowledged that some local chief executives, particularly governors and mayors, are late in announcing the suspension of classes due to a bad weather. Their announcements are the basis, thus, it may cause the delay in the forwarding of information.
Atty. Claire Castro expressed the request of the Palace to the heads of the LGUs to speed up the giving of orders for class suspensions. According to her, it should be announced ahead of time to avoid situations wherein students and their parents get stranded in flooded streets or in between a heavy traffic on their way home.
“We are appealing to the heads of LGUs if they can expedite giving orders to suspend classes. Class suspensions should be declared ahead of time,” the Malacañang official said.
Castro confirmed that the Palace will discuss with the local chief executives and the Department of Education means to speed up the process of class suspensions. Based on the report, they will also draft guidelines in the conduct of makeup online classes to minimize the disruption of learning among the students.
Aside from the request of the DILG on class suspension, Malacañang also expressed the stand of Marcos Jr. and the administration on the case of the missing ‘sabungeros’ which caught the attention of many Filipinos.