Curious case of Pasig City class suspensions

Pasig City was the lone holdout among Metro Manila when other cities suspended classes last Tuesday. It was fascinating to see how they resisted pressure from parents, given that suspending classes was typically the easy and popular move, especially as other cities were doing so. They held to their rule of waiting for the 4 a.m. rainfall warning issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) and declined to suspend. It turned out that they were right: the sky was mostly clear and the floods had subsided. Reading the comments and concerns of parents leading up to 4 a.m., however, I can’t help but wonder if this was a case of getting it technically right but still missing something important.

Mayor Vico Sotto had been steadfast about making class suspensions “automatic” in the sense that constituents do not need to wait for an official announcement from the city. Instead, he had proposed a set of guidelines: check the Pagasa rainfall warnings at 4 a.m. and if yellow or orange warning was issued, in-person classes except at the college level were automatically suspended. If a red rainfall warning was issued, classes were automatically suspended at all levels. This demonstrates that he favors objective data as a basis for decisions and that he is aware of the consequences of unnecessary suspensions, particularly in terms of long-term learning loss.

That he created a system for class suspensions also seems aligned with his principle of wanting to strengthen institutions and mechanisms instead of basing it on individual decisions. This is consistent with his desire of doing away with personality-based politics, often reminding constituents that they do not need to wait for his announcement. Despite being the odd one out, his system seemed to have worked, and Pasig City students didn’t lose a day of learning.

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However, in this quest to be systematic and effective, I think this time something got lost in the process. I noticed it when parents were asking him to make an official announcement anyway or to reconsider the 4 a.m. deadline, explaining the challenges they face. The guidelines, unfortunately, do not take into account what it means for parents and children (and teachers!) to go to bed with uncertainty about whether school will push through. For many families, a myriad of decisions needs to be made way before 4 a.m., such as waking up children, preparing breakfast, and planning transportation.

Uncertainty is a source of stress that makes it difficult to sleep peacefully. Uncertainty also means that we have to prepare for both outcomes, doubling our mental efforts. Yes, parents can look up the rainfall warning and understand the rule. But parents do not just worry about rainfall. They worry about floods and route accessibility. They worry about availability of transportation. They also worry about making arrangements at work in the event that their child needs to stay home.

Sotto and the city reminded the parents that they can always make their own decisions for the safety of their child, but it leaves the question of the consequences of a school absence unanswered. While the 4 a.m. rule is sound–and seems to be a good predictor of weather conditions for the day–it doesn’t address the whole problem.

I don’t think the answer necessarily lies in suspending classes earlier. What makes public policies change from “technically” right to it “feeling” right is when we feel that these rules accommodate our lived reality. Parents are in the same bind as the mayor: they want their children to keep on learning and to be safe.

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There is also an enormous level of trust toward Sotto. This is perhaps why they know they can ask for more. As much as he wants to focus on systems and institutions, Filipinos need direct assurance from their leaders. They can look up tables and guidelines, but Filipinos tend to prefer hearing from a trusted source, someone they feel they have a genuine relationship with. We need systems that work, but moving away from personality-based governance does not mean losing the human touch.

The current system works but it feels incomplete. While there is a plan for rainfall, we also need a plan for uncertainty. Perhaps what can be added is a way to assure and validate the contexts that their constituents are living in. For leaders to communicate that they understand how difficult it is to sit with uncertainty will help parents not feel alone in their responsibility toward their children.

Assuring that government will take their concerns into account and continue to find better solutions can help contain their anxieties and help them be more mentally ready to face the day’s challenges. Pasig City got it technically right when it comes to predicting the need to suspend classes. While the decision understandably cannot come earlier, we need to accompany constituents, not just through the storm, but through the uncertainty.

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aatuazon@up.edu.ph