Palace wants NDRRMC to review DILG class suspension policy

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang will ask the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to assess the call of a private school organization to review the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)’s blanket authority to suspend classes during heavy rains.

The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) earlier said Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla’s blanket and automatic class suspension orders hamper school preparations, discourage resilience in school communities and devalue students’ education.

“Yes, we will recommend this (review of the policy) to the NDRRMC,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said yesterday at a press briefing.

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

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.”

In a separate interview over dzBB, COCOPEA legal counsel Joseph Noel Estrada pointed out that the Department of Education (DepEd) had previously allowed private schools to exercise discretion.

“The recent order from the DepEd stated that it is not automatic that when there is class suspension, private schools will also suspend – the discretion is given to them,” he said.

Nevertheless, the group stressed that “it is open to cooperate with local government units, the DILG and the DepEd to explore ways to mitigate the negative effects of adverse weather conditions on our students.”

COCOPEA has since received support from different private institutions, including Ateneo de Manila University.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Ateneo said: “Ateneo de Manila University supports COCOPEA’s statement calling on President Marcos to support the continuity of the education sector during adverse weather.”

Remulla defended

Pushing back against criticisms, the DILG defended Remulla’s authority to declare class suspensions during heavy rains, stressing that it is not meant to disrupt learning but to protect students and school personnel during adverse weather conditions.

The DILG said Remulla’s advisories on class suspensions are intended to help families and schools make timely decisions and mitigate risks.

“These announcements are not intended to disrupt learning but to protect the most vulnerable during emergencies,” the department said in a statement issued Tuesday night.

The DILG said private schools are not privy to the latest forecast models of the NDRRMC during bad weather.

“The best compromise is to allow flexibility to shift to online classes whenever the government announces a suspension,” the department said.

It also emphasized that Remulla’s orders are based on NDRRMC recommendations as well as updated hazard monitoring data.

His role, it added, is to communicate and implement these recommendations in coordination with local government units.

The DILG assured the public that it is ready to coordinate with the DepEd, LGUs and private educational institutions to balance student safety with continuity of learning.

“Protecting students and preserving their right to education are not opposing goals. They go hand in hand,” the DILG said. -–  Emmanuel Tupas, Bella Cariaso