The cities of Mandaue and Cebu, instead of suspending face-to-face classes, have implemented 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. schedule to safeguard both students and teachers from severe heat.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes in a talk with DAILY TRIBUNE said he already signed Executive Order No. 18 or " an order implementating blended learning classes from kinder to senior high school in public schools within the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Mandaue due to increasing heat levels."

This started 4 April until 30 April 2024.

"Upon consultation with the School Heads, President of Federated Parent-Teachers Organization, Teachers and other relevant stakeholders during the Local School Board Meeting held on April 03,2024 it was recommended that a shift from a full face-to-face classes to a blended learning mode of partial face-to-face and modular mode would be the best course of action in all public schools in Mandaue City as a precautionary action to the increasing heat index," Cortes said.

"To lessen the exposures to heat, the ONSITE aspect of the face-to-face classes shall be from 6:00 o'clock until 11 o'clock in the MORNING ONLY, the modular mode shall be made thereafter, subject to monitoring and supervision by the schools," says the order.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama after giving schools the discretion to suspend or not face to face classes, has changed his mind.

Instead, he is adopting Mandaue's 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. face-to-face classes and modular mode in the afternoon.

"I am now preparing an executive order to really bring that operationalization about changing the time of going to school," Rama said.

He pointed out that due to climate change and global warming causing extreme weather, there is a need to change our approach to keeping students safe from these harsh conditions.

As he urged the DepEd to review its class suspension guidelines in the light of climate change and global warming threats.

"If you talk about typhoon there is Signal No. 1,2,3,4 and 5. There are guidelines when classes will be suspended. But because of climate change, we need to revisit those guidelines," Rama stressed.

As he insisted that the decision to suspend classes during emergencies rests with the school heads.

At least 22 Cebu municipalities and cities has already suspended in-per classes due to extreme heat.

The cities of Lapu-Lapu, Naga, Talisay, and Toledo suspended their face-to-face classes.

The Municipalities of Liloan, Consolacion, San Fernando, Ronda, Minglanilla, Cordova, Poro(Camotes island), Asturias, Badian, Tuburan, Tabogon, Balamban, Sibonga, Medellin, Compostela, San Remigio, and Tabuelan suspended face-to-face classes.

DepEd-7 Director Salustiano Jimenez said these LGUs possess the authority to suspend face-to-face classes similar to the procedures during typhoons and other calamities.

He stressed that aside from local chief executives, published and private school administrators also have discretion and authorization to transition to modular classes.

According to DepEd Order 37 of 2022, such decisions are permitted "in cases of unfavorable weather and environment, such as, but not limited to extremely high temperatures."