THE problem with EO 66 series of 2012, the Executive Order prescribing rules on the cancellation or suspension of classes, is that it is disjointed. Local officials are hard pressed to comply with its provisions on the deadlines for announcing such cancellations.
Why? Because it specifies a deadline of 4:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. when the latest weather advisories from PAGASA came out – just a few minutes or half an hour – after the deadline!
Without any clear and present danger beforehand, local officials worth their salt will wait for the 5 a.m. PAGASA advisory before deciding whether to suspend classes or not. This holds true for whole day or morning classes.
The deadline for announcements as per EO 66 is 4:30 a.m.!
For afternoon classes, they would rather wait for the 11 a.m. advisory of PAGASA before deciding, and, having it announced. The deadline is 11 a.m.!
If you were in the shoes of the mayors and governors, what would you do? Will you risk deciding knowing that your decision may be proven wrong just a few minutes after? Of course, you will wait for relevant and crucial information so you can decide judiciously. Ano ka, hilo?!
Another problem besetting local officials … one from which they receive a lot of flak from citizens, netizens and media is they were given the authority and responsibility to decide … based on local conditions. The rationale being they are the ones on the ground and the ones experiencing the local weather conditions. Thus, they are the ones in the best position to call the shot.
As you can see, it is based on local conditions. Meaning, it must first be happening at the moment. It must first be experienced, precisely … so you can decide judiciously if the present local situation merits or necessitates cancelling classes to protect the students from harm.
It is about HERE and NOW.
Yet, people get mad and rage about late announcements when the mayor decides to cancel classes because local conditions call for it. Remember, our local officials are not psychic. They are not Nostradamus. They cannot predict how strong the rains will be the following day or a few hours away.
If the first one is about deadlines being disjointed. This one now shows expectations being disjointed.
People have been accustomed to hearing early announcements because the basis for deciding THEN was something which could be forecasted. It was based on the wind which could be measured even before it strikes you. With rains and flooding, it is harder. It has to happen first.
People have to adjust their expectations. They should stop pressuring LGUs from always announcing before-the-fact because the dynamics now are different.
We cannot have mayors being given the authority to decide because it is based on actual conditions in their respective areas, while people have a mindset of pre-announced cancellation of classes.
There will be times we can announce early. But there will also be times, when we have to wait before deciding. ABISO/PAUL EDWARD P. SISON
