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LUCENA CITY — The opening of in-person classes in public schools on Wednesday, November 2, in the cities of San Pedro, Sta. Rosa, and Biñan in Laguna province has been suspended after schools were told to resort instead to distance and blended learning modes until Friday, November 4.
The suspension was prompted by the devastating effects of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) that hit the country last weekend, the San Pedro City Public Affairs and Information Office announced on its Facebook page on Tuesday.
The suspension order covers Cuyab Integrated National High School, Cuyab Elementary School, Landayan Elementary School, San Pedro Relocation Center NHS (Landayan Annex), San Roque Elementary School, San Antonio Elementary School, San Vicente Elementary School and San Pedro Elementary School (Kinder and Grade 1).
READ: Public school teachers bear class opening difficulties
Biñan Mayor Arman Dimaguila also suspended the scheduled face-to-face classes and ordered the temporary implementation of distance learning mode in all public schools in the city on November 2 to 4. The public advisory was announced on the Facebook page of the city information office.
The order explained that for those schools that temporarily serve as evacuation centers for typhoon victims, the distance mode of learning will be adopted until the facilities and the surrounding streets have been cleaned up.
In Santa Rosa City, the local government has also canceled the “face-to-face and synchronous classes” in all public schools from kindergarten to senior high school from November 2 to 5 “in consideration of the current situation faced by the faculty and students.”
‘“Distance learning (online/modular/blended) and/or asynchronous meetings will be implemented during those days,” the city government declared on its Facebook Tuesday afternoon.
It added: “At one with our countrymen’s grief over what typhoon Paeng had caused, all scheduled face-to-face and synchronous classes in PUP campus are canceled.”
The resumption of face-to-face and synchronous classes in Santa Rosa City will be on November 7.
The city hall explained that the cancellation was made “after careful coordination” with the Department of Education (DepEd).
The opening of face-to-face classes in public schools comes on the heels of Paeng’s widespread destruction along its path.
READ: Tragic Paeng combination: Nonstop rains, deforestation
DepEd Order No. 44 maintained that all public schools must implement a complete five-day face-to-face class by November 2.
Exceptions included schools authorized by the regional director, those whose classes were canceled due to disasters, and those using alternate delivery means.