Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has issued the city’s guidelines on localized suspension of classes during typhoons, flooding and other weather disturbances to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and other personnel.
Under Memorandum Circular No. 10 issued by the mayor on Tuesday, Aug. 23, classes in the city are automatically suspended once the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) raises the typhoon signals.
Belmonte said that classes in public and private preschool and kindergarten are suspended when PAGASA raises the typhoon warning to Signal No. 1.
In case Signal No. 2 or higher is raised over Metro Manila, classes in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and secondary levels (both public and private) are suspended.
The city government said that classes in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) are automatically suspended when Signal No. 3 is raised by PAGASA as mandated by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order No. 15, Series of 2012.
It added that in the absence of signal warnings, localized suspensions may be ordered by the mayor based on the recommendations of the QC Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (QCDRRMC) after its conduct of a Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA).
Meanwhile, the city‘s Schools Divisions Office (SDO) may also recommend localized classes suspension for public schools due to service interruptions, while private schools (including HEIs) may declare cancellations at their discretion.
The memorandum also authorizes the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Committees (BDRRMC) to conduct their own PDRA in coordination with PAGASA and the QCDRRMC, and declare class suspensions within their respective jurisdictions (in coordination with the SDO) in the absence of typhoon warnings.
The city government said the SDO, BDRRMC, and private school administrators were directed to immediately report to the QCDRRMC their decisions to suspend classes.
It added that the announcements of class suspensions shall be made no later than 4 a.m. of the day.
“In the event of extreme weather changes during the day, the announcement on the suspension of afternoon classes shall be made no later than 11:00 a.m.,” the mayor said.