Suspending classes selectively

WHILE saving lives and properties are important in the face of calamities, a needless disruption of the education of Pangasinan’s young has to be avoided consciously.

This should be the primary motivation behind the proposal to nix the present government policy of a declaration of “No Classes” by the provincial chief executive as unilaterally applicable to all towns and cities in Pangasinan.

As correctly noted by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), we have a vast land area that unlike other provinces in the country, there is always the situation where not all towns and cities in the province are directly or seriously impacted by the effects of monsoon rains or a typhoon, in which case, there should be no reason why classes should be suspended in areas that are relatively spared from a calamitous situation.

It is bad enough that the national government sees our public schools as the primary option for evacuation centers in case a calamity necessitates evacuation. When schools are used for evacuation purposes to house countless families in distress, classes are suspended beyond the period of emergency because of clearing and cleaning required to restore the classrooms to their original state. Effectively, the damage to the community is immeasurable if one counts the lost hours for the education of the communities’ children.

By all means, the provincial government should innovate and adapt policies to realities on the ground. Let’s have a telescopic, selective, optional and sectional approach to suspension of classes” in the province, and only when the emergency demands it.

 

‘Poe-litical’ immaturity

SAD to say but isn’t Sen. Grace Poe showing signs of “poe-litical” immaturity. Consistently even.  First, she immediately said no, when she was requested to be Jojo Binay’s presidential running mate in 2016.  When you get invitations like that, the politically correct response should be, “Thank you.  I am honored, indeed.  Let me think it over, please?”  Strike one.

Next, when President Aquino requested Poe to accompany Mar Roxas to Mar’s provincial sorties, Poe said yes but on one condition—that Sen. Chiz Escudero should join them.  That is a no-no since it was Chiz who sabotaged Mar’s vice presidential bid in 2010 when Chiz masterminded the Aquino-Binay tandem versus the Aquino-Roxas duo.  Strike two.

Now when Grace is P-Noy’s final pick to be Mar’s VP in 2016 and—God forbid—she says no, what becomes of her?  Struck out.

Poe is very popular right now but then, popularity (“poe-pularity?”) is as fleeting as infatuation. One can never be No. 1 forever.

(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)

Back to Homepage

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments