Schools in Bacolod to close early

THE City Government of Bacolod has ordered the early closing of classes and suspension of graduation and moving-up ceremonies for all levels in public and private schools in the city.

This, after Mayor Evelio Leonardia issued four Executive Order Nos. 14, 15, 16, and 17 Wednesday evening.

Executive Order No. 14 was an order adopting social distancing measures for public schools in the city.

Leonardia ordered that pre-school, primary and secondary levels in all public schools shall close on March 20 and that classes in tertiary and graduate levels in all public schools shall end on March 27, 2020.

Leonardia said on March 7, the Secretary of Health has confirmed the local transmission of coronavirus diseases 2019 (Covid-19) in the Philippines.

He said as the outbreak of Covid-19 constitutes an emergency that threatens national security, the Department of Health has placed the country on Code Red, Sub-level 1 and President Rodrigo Duterte issued Proclamation No. 922 “Declaring a State of Public Health Emergency throughout the Philippines.”

“It is the intention of the City Government of Bacolod to assume the position of taking major preventive measures to protect its citizens, particularly its students, from possible exposure to carriers of sources of this Covid-19,” he added.

The mayor noted that the City Council issued Resolution No. 282, Series of 2020 declaring a state of health emergency due to the onslaught of the Covid-19.

Leonardia said the Department of Education’s (DepEd) official statement on March 10, discussed the implementation of school suspension, and its boarder options in the light of the latest developments and information on Covid-19, as well as its assessment of the remaining school requirements for the year.

“The DepEd directed public schools to adopt social distancing measures to prevent the transmission of Covid-19,” he said.

Executive Order No. 15 was an order adopting social distancing measures in all level for private schools in the city.

Leonardia ordered the closing of classes of private schools in all levels on March 27, 2020.

Leonardia said in a consultative meeting with Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural Educational Association (NOPSSCEA) officers, private schools, Higher Education Institute Heads (HEIs), DepEd-Bacolod, Bacolod City Police Office, the City Council, a consensus was reached scheduling the closing of classes in all levels for private schools on March 27.

Executive Order No. 16 was an order suspending graduation and moving-up ceremonies until further notice for all levels in public and private schools in the city.

Leonardia said it is imperative that the city implements urgent critical measures to prevent the spread of the disease by suspending graduation and moving-up ceremonies in all levels for both public and private schools until further notice.

Executive Order No. 18 was an order implementing heightened precautions against Covid-19 for Day Care Centers and supervised neighborhood play (SNP) in the city.

Leonardia ordered that classes in all Day Care Centers and SNP in the city will only be until March 13, 2020 and the holding of moving-up ceremonies are suspended.

Leonardia said there is a need to safeguard the health and safety of children attending Day Care Centers and SNP by shortening their classes this ensuring that they spend more time in the care of their parents and staying in their homes.

Gladys Amylaine Sales, officer-in-charge Schools Division Superintendent, said they are thankful to the mayor on the issuance of the executive orders for the suspension of the graduation and other end of school year rites to prevent the transmission of Covid-19.

“This kind of decision is actually consistent also with the decision of DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones. For DepEd public schools, we did not suspend our classes because we are almost done with all learning competencies that’s why we decided to end the face-to-face classroom interaction by March 20, but after that all our learners will be given a home self-help learning activities which would be an enrichment to the things that they are going to learn in the classroom,” she said.

She added the number of days from March 20 to 27, these are non-contact days but they will still count the five-days as part of the school days.

Sales noted the usual schedule for the graduation would be March 30 to April 3, however because of the suspension of the graduation rite by the mayor, they will abide with it.

“Our (DepEd) secretary even suggested that we will allot time for our kids to really stay at home for them to be free from local transmission (Covid-19) and she suggested that on April 13 to 17 when everything would be okay in terms our public health then, we could actually go back and resume the conduct of the end of school year rites anytime within the period of April 13 to 17 so we are looking at that situation. If everything will be okay during those days, we will resume the conduct of graduation for our Kinder, Grade 6, Grade 10 completion and our Grade 12,” Sales said.

She said as of this time, the schools are on their feet trying to finish the examination until March 20.

Sales also directed all the school heads yesterday that they can have their recognition ceremonies in their respective classrooms with the learners and teachers only, no visitors would be coming in inside the school.

“We are really in support of our mayor in the prevention of the local transmission of the Covid-19,’ she said.

Ryan Mark Molina, NOPSSCEA president, said that for the private schools, they also agreed to end the classes on March 27, but there are some private schools that started their classes on July and it’s up to their school board on how they will be able to adjust.

“As to the schedule of the graduation, we are in support to the decision of the mayor as well that we will be suspending the graduation and moving-up exercises until we will be advised that it’s okay for us to proceed with the ceremony,” he said.