In times of disaster
AS the classes in the public schools just officially started so is the rainy season with the threat of typhoons, low pressure area that also aggravated by incidence of flooding in low lying areas. The general public especially the parents are always asking for the right agency, organization and/or personnel who will have to give instructions when the said incidents happen.
The Department of Education (Deped) through Secretary Leonor M. Briones has issued this this statement again to guide our school officials, teachers parents and learners on what to do before, during and after the disasters.
This is Deped Sec. Briones Statement on the official start of the rainy season: As the nation braces itself for the rainy season, the Department of Education (Deped) reminds all public and private schools across the country to prioritize the safety and well-being of learners at all cost.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has officially declared the start of the rainy season in the Philippines during a Facebook Live video today, June 8, 2018.
The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Service at the Central Office, DRRM Units at the Regional and the Schools Division Offices, and the school heads and DRRM coordinators shall lead the preparations and implementation of precautionary measures to mitigate the impacts of the rainy season.
As to the announcement of class suspensions due to inclement weather, the Department’s policy remains: Classes in affected areas are automatically suspended based on the Pagasa declared storm signals, while Local Government Units (LGUs) — not Deped — decide on and announce class suspensions within their areas of jurisdiction during calamities in the absence of a storm signal.
Deped further calls on parents to practice their discretion on determining whether their children should go to school during typhoons, floods and other calamities, even in the absence of cancellation or suspension of classes announcement.