Did the mayor just wake up? The weather has been bad since last night.’
This was the comment in the vernacular of one of more than 2,000 netizens who reacted to the suspension of classes in nearby Angeles City on Tuesday.
Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin II announced the suspension at around 6:30 a.m., when many students were already in school or on their way to class.
‘Nag-suspend, nasa school na mga bata. Pumasok kahit maulan. Sana naman agahan nila ang pag-suspend (They suspended classes when the children were already in school. They went to school despite the rain. They should announce the suspension earlier),’ a parent commented on Lazatin’s and the city government’s Facebook posts.
Classes usually start at 7 a.m.
‘Due to the sudden deterioration in weather conditions, face-to-face classes in all public and private schools in Angeles City, at all levels, have been suspended,’ the Angeles City government said in a Facebook post.
Lazatin also posted the announcement on his Facebook page.
Several netizens, however, disagreed with Lazatin’s description of the weather as having suddenly deteriorated, saying the bad weather had already started Monday night.
‘Sudden, he said? The weather has been bad since last night,’ a netizen said in the vernacular.
‘Kung pwede po gabi pa lang mag-announce na (If possible, please announce it the night before),’ another commented.
About 90 minutes before the class suspension was announced, Lazatin had reminded parents and guardians in a Facebook post to bring umbrellas or raincoats amid a forecast of cloudy skies with scattered rain showers.
He also said the city government was continually coordinating with schools regarding the possibility of suspending classes if necessary.
‘As of this posting, wala pa po tayong natatanggap na abiso para sa anumang suspension. Batay rin sa kasalukuyang impormasyon at sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga DRRMOs at iba pang kalapit na LGU, wala pa tayong sapat na basehan upang magdeklara ng citywide suspension,’ he said.
(As of this posting, we have not received any advisory regarding a suspension. Based on the current information and coordination with the DRRMOs and other neighboring LGUs, we do not yet have sufficient basis to declare a citywide suspension.)
Lazatin also reminded parents and guardians of their important role in assessing conditions in their respective areas.
‘Kung sa inyong palagay ay mahihirapan o magiging hindi ligtas para sa inyong anak ang pagpasok dahil sa pabugso-bugsong ulan, o kondisyon ng daan, maaari po ninyong ipa-excuse ang inyong anak sa paaralan at makipag-ugnayan sa kanilang school authorities,’ he said.
(If you believe it would be difficult or unsafe for your child to go to school because of heavy rains or road conditions, you may have your child excused from school and coordinate with school authorities.)
Some netizens remained dissatisfied with the timing of the announcement.
‘Mayor Carmelo ‘Jon’ Lazatin II, with all due respect, I hope next time the timing of class suspension announcements can be handled more carefully. The morning session starts at 7 a.m., and by the time the suspension was announced, many students were already at school,’ a netizen commented on the mayor’s post.
‘Parents had already spent money on transportation, and some children had already gotten soaked in the rain on their way there,’ the netizen added.
The netizen observed that Lazatin had initially said there was no advisory yet and advised parents to bring umbrellas and raincoats.
‘If the weather was already this concerning, I believe you should know better than to wait until students were already in school before making the decision,’ the netizen said.
‘By then, the children had already gone through the inconvenience and exposure to the rain, only to be told afterward that classes were suspended,’ the netizen added.
The commenter also pointed out that while classes start at 7 a.m., many students walk to school because their families cannot afford transportation expenses and leave home early to arrive on time.
‘And while you may say that attending is ultimately at the parents’ discretion, students also have quizzes, activities, and lessons they don’t want to miss. Parents shouldn’t have to choose between risking their child’s safety and having them miss something important at school,’ the netizen said.
Another netizen said some schools begin classes as early as 6 a.m., stressing that class suspensions should be made before students leave home.