Schools urged to ensure learners’ safety when holding closing rites

ILOILO CITY – In addition to holding simple and meaningful closing ceremonies, schools are reminded to ensure the safety of learners, faculty, and those joining the celebration amid the extreme heat being experienced in several areas in Western Visayas (Region 6).

“Schools shall avoid scheduling their end-of-school-year rites during the time of the day when temperatures are at their highest. This means that we should not hold rites when PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Service Administration) forecasts the high heat index, technically around 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. depending on their area,” Hernani Escullar Jr., Department of Education (DepEd) Western Visayas information officer, said on Tuesday.

Escullar added that schools could have their ceremonies early in the morning or late in the afternoon. 

Also, they can hold it indoors with proper ventilation or in a covered court to avoid exposure to the sun.

He said that with the guidance of Regional Director Ramir B. Uytico, there has to be a meeting between school officials and parents to discuss the safe conduct of the school year-end activities.

Various schools in the region have been shifting to alternative delivery mode of learning (ADL) due to the suspension of in-person classes either by the local government unit or school heads in view of the extreme heat in the past months.

"Based on our data, as of Monday, we have 1,700 schools in Western Visayas that implemented the alternative delivery mode of learning, wherein 366 were into modular distance learning, 34 online distance learning, and 1,307 on blended learning,” Escullar said.

“Based on the guidelines of Director Uytico, every time there is a shift to alternative delivery mode, school heads have to coordinate with school division offices to implement monitoring evaluation on how they conduct the ADL,” he added.

It is necessary that at the end of the school year, learners achieve the target competencies, he said.

Escullar said so far, there is no guidance on the possible extension of classes, and end-of-school-year rites would be on May 29-31. 

On Tuesday, PAGASA forecast a heat index ranging from 42°C to 45°C in La Granja, La Carlota in Negros Occidental,  Dumangas in Iloilo, Roxas City in Capiz, and Iloilo City.  (PNA)