THE DELAYED suspension of college-level classes in Manila during heavy rains on Monday, Aug. 17, has prompted calls to review class-suspension protocols under the disaster risk reduction framework, after students were stranded at UST amid waist-deep floods.
Asst. Prof. Alvin Ringgo Reyes, secretary of the UST College of Education, said authorities should revisit their framework of “risk reduction.”
“Kapag may datos ka na, gumawa na ng desisyon nang maaga, hindi ang susubukin muna kung kakayanin ng stakeholders na ma-survive ang panganib at kapag natantong mukhang hindi, saka lang sila isasali sa pagliligtas,” Reyes said in a Facebook post.
(When you already have the data, make a decision early instead of first testing whether stakeholders can survive the danger and, only when it appears they cannot, including them in rescue efforts.)
Reyes lamented the plight of teachers and students who were caught in floods or had to switch to online classes while traveling home on buses, jeepneys, and trains.
“Sa ating national and local governments, pagnilayan po ang RR sa DRRM (disaster risk reduction and management). Ingat po sa lahat,” he said.
(To our national and local governments, please reflect on risk reduction in disaster risk reduction and management. Keep safe, everyone.)
The Manila city government had announced on Sunday, Aug. 16, that classes from kindergarten to senior high school in public and private schools would be suspended on Monday because of the habagat or southwest monsoon. College-level classes were not covered by the suspension.
Other local governments had suspended classes at all levels ahead of Monday.
As rains intensified late morning on Aug. 17, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso expanded the suspension to all levels of public and private schools, effective at noon, and advised schools to shift to alternative delivery modes.
By then, however, college students had already traveled to their campuses for morning classes.
Heavy monsoon rains eventually caused widespread flooding in Manila, disrupting traffic and public transportation and stranding commuters for hours.
At UST, floodwaters reached waist level in some of the hardest-hit portions of the campus, including behind the UST Hospital, along Ruaño Drive and in front of the Quadricentennial Pavilion and St. Raymund de Peñafort Building, according to Facilities Management Office Director Fr. Dexter Austria, O.P.
The timing of decisions raised questions over why the city government initially excluded colleges from the preventive suspension despite forecasts of bad weather, only to expand the order after students had already gone to school and floodwaters had risen.
The southwest monsoon had been affecting the country for several days before Monday, with weather authorities forecasting continued rains over parts of Luzon.
Manila itself had suspended afternoon classes at all levels for days earlier, also upon the recommendation of the Manila City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department as monsoon rains affected the capital.
Central Student Council Treasurer Cedric Charles Daz criticized the timing of Monday’s suspension and called on Domagoso to act earlier when severe weather threatens students and residents.
“We are tired of suspensions being announced only when the situation is already critical,” Daz said in a Facebook post.
“A suspension is supposed to PREVENT people from being exposed to danger, not serve as a response after thousands are already stranded,” he added.
Daz said the city government should not wait for conditions to become dangerous before acting on warnings.
“The safety of Manila’s students and residents is your responsibility. You were elected to lead, to anticipate, and to act when people’s welfare is at stake,” he said.
“Yesterday was a disaster. And it should never happen again.”
Daz accompanied his post with photographs by the Varsitarian showing the flooding.
The Manila government suspended face-to-face classes at all levels on Tuesday, Aug. 18, again based on the recommendation of the city disaster risk reduction and management office.
