Magalong seeks class suspension protocol

BAGUIO City Mayor Benjamin Magalong remain unfazed by the bashing he received on social media over class suspension declarations the past days.

Magalong said he will not sacrifice the suspension of classes, valuing the importance of education and the school days allotted for students.

“As much as possible we will maximize the number of school days. I cannot sacrifice that, they cannot force me to stop classes kahit na I believe they have to go to class, I will not do it,” Magalong added.

Magalong said on the height of Habagat on Tuesday and Wednesday he has been waking up at odd hours of the early morning just to check on weather and suspend classes after 3 am.

The retired general said he does not read the comments castigating him over class suspensions on social media adding it has not bothered him.

“We cannot sacrifice your education, kaya nga pinilili ko lang

ano klase [levels] i- suspend ko,” Magalong adds.

The neophyte mayor said he has castigated the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office personnel for asking him to decide on a class suspension without giving data to back his decision.

Magalong added he has been getting calls to decide on class suspensions on the basis that the office has been receiving calls, forcing him to ask for more basis to help him decide on whether to suspend classes or not.

“I admonished them already. I am asking for data,” Magalong said adding forecasts, amount of rain in the next 12 hours as well as recommendations from the CDRRMC should be given to help chief executives decide on declaration better and more efficiently.

Magalong said he has also taken the matter with the Office of the Civil Defense and Department of Science and Technology saying weather bureau forecasts do not help decision-makers in times of bad weather.

“It is not enough for a mayor to come up with a decision on class suspensions, it’s not helping me, and I need more technical data,” the mayor quips.