Undersecretary Eduardo Año, DILG officer-in-charge (File photo by NOY MORCOSO / INQUIRER.net)
Undersecretary Eduardo Año, officer in charge of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), urged local executives on Monday to be more prompt in suspending classes and government work, noting how several local government units had gotten flak recently for late announcements.
“Local chief executives should always be on top of the situation, especially during typhoons and calamities,” Año said in a statement. “They should be actively monitoring the weather condition and the actual situation in their localities. Hindi puwedeng tutulog-tulog [You can’t be sleeping on the job].”
“By the time the announcements were made, the students were already in school and had to tread through gutter and knee levels of unsanitary flood water to go back home,” he added.
According to the DILG, several field offices had received a lot of feedback regarding LGUs late suspensions when weather disturbances and the southwest monsoon brought heavy rains in several areas in the country.
Año also revealed that the DILG would considerimposing disciplinary actions against the alleged “lazy officials” who would not suspend classes on time.
“Erring officials who are too lazy to wake up to suspend classes even though Pagasa has declared its warning signals may be charged with gross neglect of duty,” the former military chief explained.
“We are putting minors at risk when we delay class suspensions. We must not wait for the flood levels to become critical before making the announcements,” he added.
He also said that local officials, including heads of local disaster risk reduction offices, should use the color-coded rainfall advisories as a guide whether to suspend classes and work or not.
“Given the country’s vulnerability to storms, it’s better for us to ensure the safety of our constituents in advance than to be sorry when it’s too late,” Año reminded. /atm