With the onset of the rainy season, which also brings typhoons in the province, Laoag City Department of Education (DepEd) Superintendent Cecilia P. Aribuabo announced the automatic suspension of classes’ scheme that would be followed this school year. Under DepEd Order No. 28, the automatic suspension of classes no longer require any further announcement from school authorities. Explaining further, Aribuabo said that pre-school level shall be automatically suspended in all public and private schools if storm signal no. 1 had been raised by the PAGASA. When signal no. 2 had been raised, classes in pre-school, elementary and secondary levels are automatically cancelled in both public and private schools. Storm warning signals are usually announced by PAGASA through the broadcast media at 11 pm and 5 am. The automatic suspension of classes would also apply to public school teachers since they would be required to hold make-up classes in lieu of the suspended classes. In the case of the private schools however, the discretion would be left to school heads, directors or principals. Aribuabo further said that localized suspension of classes in specific divisions may be implemented in the absence of typhoon signal warnings from PAGASA. The city DepEd superintendent also asked that coordination among local chief executives should be undertaken at all times since these officials also chair their respective local disaster coordinating councils. Under the same order, the local chief executive can also decide the suspension of classes provided they inform the superintendent and regional director so the department can help in the dissemination. The order also gives the parents the ultimate responsibility in determining whether their children should go to school even if there is no order for the suspension of classes if they feel that traveling to and from the school would place their children at risk. To complete the total number of school days, make-up classes should be undertaken during Saturdays and Sundays to offset days when classes had been suspended. Meanwhile, Laoag City Mayor Michael V. Fariñas announced that the City Disaster Coordinating Council (CDCC) is ready in case of any calamities. However, Fariñas hopes that there would be no typhoons and that would hit the province in the mold of super typhoon Igme which wreaked havoc in the city last year. “Diuray kuma panag-tutudo basta awan umay a didigra ta kaasi met dagiti kakailyan tayo no sumangbay iti kastoy a kalamidad (Hopefully, it would just rain and there would be no calamity that would befall the city because our city mates suffer tremendously whenever calamities strike the city),” Fariñas said. Dominic B. dela Cruz
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