Briones says deciding on class suspension should remain with LGUs

MANILA, Philippines — The power to suspend classes should remain with local governments because they know the situation in their area, the Department of Education said Wednesday as some mayors drew flak over late announcements. 

DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said local governments can make faster decisions on class suspensions because they can immediately assess the situation on the ground.

"The reason behind the policy of asking the local governments is in terms of timeliness, they would be much faster. They’re right where the storm is, where the flood is, where the earthquake is before the DepEd officials ever have the opportunity to go," Briones said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

"It is usually the local officials who love their people who immediately go out when there is a storm or a disaster to find out what is happening, they go there very much faster and earlier than we could ever do so and we have to collate the data," she added. 

Briones noted that the weather situation varies from one area to another. 

"It used to be the task of the Department of Education but the public was complaining. We are 7,000 islands with very different weather conditions," she said. 

"I think the issue here is who gets the blame. Some local government units are not happy being blamed as to the timeliness of the decision." 
 
Earlier, Quezon City Administrator Aldrin Cuña said the power to suspend classes should be returned to the DepEd after some critics complain about late announcements.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has asked local executives to come up with guidelines on class suspensions so they will know what to do during heavy rains without typhoon signals. The agency is talking to local governments so they can pass their own ordinance on the suspension of classes. — Alexis Romero