To eliminate confusion, both among students, parents, and the academe during typhoons, heavy rainfalls, floods, and earthquakes, the Valenzuela City Council under the leadership of Mayor WES Gatchalian releases the “Official Guidelines on Suspension of Classes in Valenzuela City”.

Pursuant to Ordinance No. 1052, Series of 2022 entitled “An Ordinance Prescribing the Guidelines on the Cancellation or Suspension of Classes and Work in Schools and Colleges in the Event of Disasters and Other Natural Calamities in the City of Valenzuela”, which was principally authored by Vice-Mayor Lorie Natividad-Borja, Councilors Gerald Galang, Ricarr Enriquez, Niña Lopez, and Jonjon Bartolome, guidelines on such different scenarios have been prescribed.

Last September 25, Typhoon Karding tormented several regions in the country raising Tropical Cyclone Warning Signals (TCWS) No. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in many areas including Valenzuela City at Signal No. 4. With this, the City Government of Valenzuela enacted the Automatic Class Suspension which automatically suspends classes among several grade levels on both public and private schools in the city.

Under the Ordinance, the following guidelines have been prescribed for Pre-school / Kinder, Elementary, Junior High School, Senior High School, and Community Learning Centers:

* Work is automatically suspended for all teaching, and non-teaching personnel at all schools, division, regional, and central offices, except for security, safety, finance, engineering, sanitation, health, and disaster response departments.

For State and Private Colleges and Universities, the following will be observed:

* Work Suspensions for teaching and non-teaching personnel are within the prerogative of the College / University Heads or Administrators.

** Work Suspensions for teaching and non-teaching personnel are automatic

All decisions regarding other disasters not included in the said ordinance are the prerogative of the local chief executive, Mayor WES Gatchalian based on the recommendation of Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (LDRRMC).

Normally, students and parents are always on the lookout for class suspension announcements whenever there are heavy rainfalls and typhoons. With this ordinance, the City Government of Valenzuela hopes to eliminate all confusions regarding these events.

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