Marcos’ order gives schools more say in class suspensions
Under a new executive order that seeks to minimize learning disruptions, schools in cities or provinces may continue to hold face-to-face classes—despite suspension orders handed down by local government officials—provided their areas are safe.
Executive Order No. 130, which was signed on Oct. 28 but published only in the Official Gazette on Tuesday, replaces blanket class suspensions with a three-tier system that allows decisions to be made based on actual conditions, including risks in specific communities and individual schools.
It paves the way for individual schools to declare a so-called “granular suspension” with the approval of their respective local chief executives (LCEs), specifically mayors or governors, “upon the determination that an actual or imminent threat to the safety, health, or welfare of learners and personnel exists based on documented site-specific conditions.”
It also lets schools seek an earlier resumption of in-person classes even if a localized suspension remains in effect, provided a site-specific assessment shows that conditions are already safe and with the approval of the LCE concerned.
Under EO 130, class suspensions may be triggered through three mechanisms: automatic suspension based on official hazard warnings and prescribed technical thresholds; localized suspension declared by LCEs based on prevailing conditions; and granular suspension declared by individual educational institutions based on their own safety assessments.
Automatic suspensions will take effect without the need for a separate declaration once warnings, advisories, alert levels or forecasts issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, or other competent national agencies meet the prescribed thresholds.
In the absence of an automatic suspension, mayors and other LCEs, acting as chairs of their respective local disaster risk reduction and management councils, may declare a localized suspension within specific areas in their jurisdiction based on documented local risk assessments and prevailing conditions.
The suspension may cover an entire locality or only specific areas, including a particular barangay and, as far as practicable, identified schools, as well as the duration of the suspension.
Local government units must also consult concerned barangay officials, schools division superintendents and heads of private educational institutions, “as may be necessary.”
“In-person classes and activities, and onsite work shall automatically resume upon the expiration of the period specified in the suspension order or once the applicable warning, advisory, alert level, forecast, or declaration has been lifted, downgraded, expired, or ceased, and the required safety assessment inspections,” the EO states.
