DILG: LGUs still authorized to suspend work, classes

DILG Sec. Jonvic Remulla —INQUIRER.net file photo/Ryan Leagogo

MANILA, Philippines — Local government units (LGUs) retain the power to suspend classes in their respective areas, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla clarified on Wednesday after Malacañang earlier authorized him to declare the cancellation of work and classes due to disasters and bad weather.

“[That power] has not been taken from them,” Remulla said in an interview over dzMM. Asked why the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) was given the authority to suspend work or classes, he replied: “We have the whole-of-country approach on our end—the latest satellite weather, amount of rain, saturation on the ground; all the data points are with us.”

“The granular approach they (LGUs) talk about, that’s also correct. They do see the situation on the ground better than us. We, on the other hand, take the science-based approach and we have an approximation of where the greatest threat of danger [is] in the whole country,” he added.

READ: Classes, gov’t work in Metro Manila, 36 provinces suspended on July 23

Heavy rains are expected to persist until Monday amid the southwest monsoon (“habagat”) as well as Tropical Depressions Dante and Emong, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

No classes

Shortly before 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Remulla posted in the official DILG Philippines Facebook page that classes at all levels were suspended for July 24, Thursday, in the following areas: Metro Manila; Ilocos Region (Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan); Cagayan Valley (Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya); Cordillera Administrative Region (Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province); Central Luzon (Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales); Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon); Mimaropa (Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan and Romblon); Bicol Region (Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon and Masbate); and Western Visayas (Antique and Iloilo).

“Let’s avoid playing, having picnics or swimming in rivers and streams. Six of those killed yesterday were drinking near a river or made a bet about swimming against the current,” he said.

“Yes, I crack jokes at times but the power of weather is no joke,” Remulla added, an apparent reference to his informal and humorous style of announcing the suspensions which some netizens called “inappropriate.”

Apology

Defending himself, he said that “a little humor never hurt anyone,” after he drew flak on Tuesday for another FB post in which he said he “dozed off for a bit after being too full from a good meal” before announcing the areas where classes and government work were suspended the next day.

“Ang daming letga (Filipino slang for angry). So many are mad. I’m sorry, but I won’t change my behavior,” Remulla said in another post on Wednesday.

“If my jokes are not to your liking, just remember I did not curse, belittle or degrade anybody. I also didn’t flatter anybody or say anything untrue,” he added.

In the same radio interview, Remulla said he had no intention of offending anybody with his humorous take on announcing class and work suspensions as he also apologized.

However, he defended his informal messaging style, saying this was also the way he did it as Cavite governor.

“They understood me in Cavite. I hope they (netizens) understand me too. I have no intention to offend anybody,” Remulla said.

“If I have to apologize for hurting their sensibilities, then I do offer it. But, I will not change who I am and I will always try to be my best, especially as a [source] of information that we need to disseminate,” he added. /cb