Pampanga First District Representative Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. filed House Resolution No. 368 requesting the Department of Education (DepEd) to postpone face-to-face classes and shift to alternative modes of learning, such as modules and online classes, for a period of at least two weeks in public and private schools nationwide to give time for the formulation of guidelines on disaster and emergency preparedness and response in schools.
The filing of HR No. 368 comes after the series of earthquakes that rocked the country in the past weeks: Cebu on September 30, La Union on October 9, Davao on October 10, and Zambales and Surigao Del Sur on October 11.
Reports from the incidents, as well as videos posted on social media, have shown instances where students, as well as teachers and school personnel, were caught unaware of what to do during the emergency and exhibited panic.
“As the recent earthquakes have shown, semi-regular drills in schools are not enough preparation.”
“Due to our geographical location, our country is prone to natural disasters, such as typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. As the recent earthquakes have shown, semi-regular drills in schools are not enough preparation,” Lazatin said.
“We need to have clear and specific guidelines on how the administration, school personnel, teachers, and students will act and respond during disasters and emergencies,” the legislator added.
The lawmaker is also set to send copies of the said resolution to national and regional offices of DepEd.
“Although this is merely a resolution, this reflects the actual sentiments of parents who are worried about their children.”
“Although this is merely a resolution, this reflects the actual sentiments of parents who are worried about their children,” he stressed.
Lazatin also met with officials from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Anti-Cyber Crime Group to discuss the issue of bomb threat hoaxes on social media that has become rampant in the First District.
The meeting was also attended by representatives from DepEd in the First District, and included in the discussion were guidelines and advice from law enforcement on how to properly respond to such threats.
