Agree on class suspension protocol, HEIs, LGUs urged

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has urged local government units (LGUs) and higher education institutions (HEIs) to develop class suspension protocols in cases of inclement weather.

CHED chairman J. Prospero de Vera III recommended the development of such protocols, noting existing policies that allow both LGUs and tertiary institutions to suspend classes when there are no automatic class suspensions.

“There is CHED Memorandum Order 15, series of 2012 that gives HEIs the power to do this but there is also Executive Order 66, series of 2012 that says LGUs have the power to suspend,” De Vera told The STAR.

De Vera issued the statement after Manila Mayor Isko Moreno warned the University of the East (UE) that he would cancel its permit to operate if its officials would continue to disobey class suspension orders.

UE initially pushed through with college-level classes on Monday despite Moreno’s order to suspend classes in all levels.

The university suspended classes in all levels following the mayor’s video statement on Facebook.

Under existing rules, classes are automatically suspended in areas under public cyclone warning signals: preschool for signal no. 1, preschool to senior high school for signal no. 2, and all levels for signal no. 3 and above.