Schools buck DILG blanket authority on class suspension

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla’s blanket authority to declare class suspensions during heavy rains should be reviewed by President Marcos, according to the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (Cocopea).

“(Remulla’s) blanket and automatic orders of class suspension in all schools… hamper school preparations, discourage resilience in school communities and devalue students’ education,” the group said in a statement.

“It also deprives school administrators of the proper exercise of academic judgment in matters affecting student learning, such as the number of class days, major examinations and their overall development,” they added.

Marcos has authorized Remulla to declare class suspensions after the interior secretary requested the President to empower him.

On Monday, Remulla apologized for delayed class and work suspensions in Metro Manila and many provinces.

Cocopea said policies should give private school administrators “enough flexibility to decide whether to suspend classes and work, switch to online methods or assign asynchronous tasks after evaluating situations affecting stakeholders and the school’s academic calendar.”

“We express our willingness to collaborate with local government units, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department of Education to explore ways to mitigate the negative effects of adverse weather conditions on our students,” they maintained.

Signatories to the statement are Cocopea chairperson and Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines president Karels San Juan; Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities president Betty Cernol-Mccann; Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities president Marco Alfredo Benitez; Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities president Royce Torres and Unified TVET of the Philippines Inc. president Onofre Inocencio Jr.

Dropout crisis

Meanwhile, Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre yesterday sounded the alarm over the country’s high dropout rates in higher education.

Four out of 10 students who enter higher education in the Philippines do not make it to the finish line, he warned.

“That’s a 39-percent attrition rate. When we look at certain regions, the situation is even more alarming. In Bangsamoro, nearly all students, 93.4 percent, drop out before graduating. In Central Visayas, the figure is at 60.7 percent. In Zamboanga Peninsula, 59.5 percent and in the Cordilleras, 54.9 percent,” he said.

Changes in the implementation of the tertiary education subsidy should be made, he suggested.

Historic allocation

Education Secretary Sonny Angara yesterday thanked Marcos and the Department of Budget and Management for allocating four percent of gross domestic product (GDP) to education.

About P1.224 trillion has been allocated to the education sector under the proposed 2026 national budget.

The House appropriations panel will hear today the proposed P928.52-billion appropriations for the DepEd.

State universities and colleges will get P134.99 billion, followed by the Commission on Higher Education with P34 billion and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority with P20.24 billion, Angara said.

The DepEd’s budget proposal reflects an 18.9 percent increase from the 2025 national budget.

Of the amount, P115.4 billion will support school operations, the senior high school voucher program and school-based feeding program.

About P41.6 billion will be allocated for the construction, repair and rehabilitation of classrooms, as well as other programs under the basic education facilities fund to help solve the classroom shortage.

Some P15.4 billion will be allocated for additional plantilla positions.

To advance digital learning, the DepEd will allocate P13.8 billion for its computerization program.

Attached agencies of the DepEd will receive the following allocations: National Museum of the Philippines (P840.9 million), National Academy of Sports (P251.1 million), Teacher Education Council (P207.5 million), Philippine High School for the Arts (P160.7 million), National Book Development Board (P156.6 million) and National Council for Children’s Television (P72.6 million).

Angara said Unesco recommended allocating four percent of a country’s GDP to education.

Biggest wins

Angara also highlighted the DepEd’s achievements in August.

He said the DepEd’s “biggest wins” last month include the Anti-Bullying Law’s revised implementing rules and regulations, a 50-percent discount for students riding rail transit in Metro Manila, an increase in private school teachers’ salary subsidy and hiring of more legal and procurement staff.

Angara and Marcos went to Aurora National High School on Monday for the Yaman ng Kalusugan caravan, which links school clinics with the local health system. — Jose Rodel Clapano