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Local chief executives from Metro Manila pose for a picture after approving the Metro Manila Traffic Code of 2023, February 1, 2023
Released / MMDA
MANILA, Philippines — The president of the Metro Manila Council said he will discuss with fellow mayors the possibility of a uniform approach to class suspensions amid PAGASA's forecast of dangerous heat levels in the coming dry season.
"I will coordinate with my fellow mayors and consult Chairman Artes of the MMDA. If there will be a consensus, then we can implement it Metro Manila-wide," said council president and mayor of San Juan City Francis Zamora in a radio interview on Tuesday, March 4.
This comes after a group of teachers in Metro Manila issued a statement yesterday calling for an automatic, unified class suspension system in the National Capital Region (NCR) to address what they say is an "inconsistent" approach to canceling in-person learning.
Zamora said he had observed various responses from different local government units yesterday, with some suspending classes outright while others shifted to online learning.
But Zamora also said that mayors in Metro Manila ultimately maintain their autonomy in imposing class suspensions in response to dangerous heat levels. "If ever they want to continue with online classes, that is the choice of our fellow mayors. We have autonomy in [our] decisions," Zamora said in Filipino.
During a Facebook Live session on Monday, Zamora shared similar thoughts about coordination with fellow mayors while noting that each city in the NCR has its own circumstances.
Currently, individual LGUs make decisions on class suspensions under Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 22, s. 2024.
"We have different situations and demographics in our cities," Zamora said.
On Tuesday, only the LGUs of Manila and Quezon City announced that in-person classes would be suspended in response to the state weather bureau's forecast of a high heat index.
Heat indexes are used to measure the heat felt by the human body (apparent temperature), which differs from air temperature. Relative humidity is taken into consideration when it comes to measuring heat index.
