Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon said he exercises caution in announcing class suspensions, citing the impact of lost school days on students’ education. 

In a statement on Thursday, Biazon stated that he does not suspend classes based on pressure coming from the public through social media, but instead based his announcements through reviewing data from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and the city’s disaster response office.

“As early as the night before, I carefully study the data from PAGASA and the DDRMO and consult with DepEd, PLMun, and CDM to determine whether a suspension is truly justified. Our top concern is the safety of our learners,” Biazon said 

He pointed out the toll of frequent suspensions on students’ education, citing figures from the Education Commission 2 showing that 53 school days were lost last School Year 2023 to 2024, equivalent to roughly 25 percent of the 200-day school calendar. 

Biazon also referred to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority which reported that around 19 million Filipinos are functionally illiterate. In Muntinlupa City, 74.4 percent of students are considered functionally literate, implying that around 25.6 percent are not. 

“That’s why, as much as possible, if it’s safe for students to attend school, I avoid suspending classes without a well-studied justification,” he said.

Muntinlupa was among the cities that cancelled classes on Thursday, 3 July, suspending classes for kindergarten learners and afternoon classes in all levels across public and private schools due to heavy rainfall.