No class: Palace tweets near midnite; coeds cheer

Malacañang must have scored big with college students and their parents for its quick decision to suspend classes in the college level in Metro Manila on Wednesday due to Tropical Storm “Juaning.”

However, the heavy rains and strong winds that the parents had feared did not come as Juaning veered northward, sparing Metro Manila.

Suspending classes in the tertiary level is the province of school officials.

Most college students who either slept late Tuesday or woke up early on Wednesday were already aware that classes were suspended after the Palace announced it in the media and social networking sites before midnight.

It was Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. who ordered the suspension of classes in the tertiary level.

Late-hour move

Ochoa issued the order after the Palace communication group informed him of the late-hour recommendation by the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) for a suspension and of the clamor by parents.

As early as 7 p.m. on Tuesday, classes in preschools, elementary and high schools were ordered suspended by the Department of Education. School officials had not ordered the suspension of classes for college students.

The situation changed when the NDRRMC issued a recommendation to suspend classes in the tertiary level at 11 p.m. of Tuesday.

Parents’ clamor

By then, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said, the Palace communication group led by him, Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang, Undersecretary Abigail Valte and Undersecretary Manolo Quezon III had monitored several complaints from parents who wanted their children in college to be exempted from classes.

“There was a clamor on the part of the parents and concern that the calamity would hit the NCR (National Capital Region),” Lacierda said in a phone interview.

Based on a memorandum order, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) automatically suspends classes in the college level in an area where Storm Signal No. 3 has been raised, according to Lacierda.

When the storm signal is lower, school officials have the discretion to suspend classes in the college level, Lacierda said.

“Since it was an extraordinary situation and the NDRRMC recommendation came in late, we consulted Executive Secretary Ochoa and informed him of the situation. He then decided to suspend classes for the sake of the parents and their children,” he said.

Lacierda said Palace intervention in this matter was in a “case by case basis.”

Tweet

Lacierda and Valte then tweeted the Palace directive and informed media outlets about the suspension of classes in the college level by 11:30 p.m. of Tuesday.

Asked to comment on the Palace decision, the CHEd said it was Malacañang’s prerogative.

“Our policy is we do not suspend classes unless [in areas under] it’s Signal No. 3. It’s not necessary for us to suspend. The CHEd has devolved that to schools,” said the office of CHEd Chair Patricia Licuanan.

Requests

Requests for the CHEd to advise students about class suspensions—even discretionary announcements by individual schools—have become as recurrent as typhoons this monsoon season, especially in social media.

The CHEd earlier promised to be “more proactive” in bringing timely information to students, including posting a collated list of discretionary suspensions announced by individual schools.

On microblogging site Twitter, users suggested that the CHEd establish its own account for official announcements, much like other government agencies.

The Department of Education has been using Twitter as one of its main platforms for urgent announcements through @DepEd_PH, even beating its own press advisories to the draw.

Accounts disowned

Posers even tried to fill the gap late Tuesday. On Wednesday, two fake accounts @CHEDOfficialPH and @CHEDph went online, with the latter quickly gaining more than 1,600 followers in a day.

The CHEd has disowned both accounts.

CHEd policy

The commission also reiterated its policy: “The policy and protocol observed by the CHEd is: automatic suspension of classes in higher education with Storm Signal No. 3. Otherwise, the decision is left to school heads or local governments.”

“This CHEd policy, while not perfect, is the most workable and best suited to the needs of higher education institutions, faculty and students. The CHEd is continuously seeking ways to improve on the system and make it work better,” Licuanan said in a policy clarification issued last month.