Student Calls for Earlier Class Suspensions, Joy Belmonte Responds
JOY BELMONTE – The Quezon City mayor responded to a student’s open letter about delayed class suspensions during heavy rains and flooding.
The letter was posted on Facebook on August 17, 2026, by Quezon City resident Daniel Tawing, who goes by Kuya Dans. He respectfully praised improvements in the city before raising concerns about how class suspensions are announced during bad weather.
Tawing said delayed suspensions can put students at risk, especially those who are already traveling home when heavy rain begins. Students may also face flooding, difficult commutes, wasted transportation expenses, and damaged school supplies.
He stressed that students were not asking the city to suspend classes every time it rains. Instead, he urged officials to make earlier and more consistent decisions based on weather forecasts and warnings, while giving greater consideration to students who commute.
Belmonte responded through her verified Facebook page on August 18 and acknowledged the difficulties experienced by students during heavy rain and flooding. She explained that the city government bases its decisions on weather forecasts, official warnings, and actual conditions monitored across Quezon City.
She used the August 17 situation as an example. At around 4 a.m., when the decision for morning classes had to be made, there was no Yellow Rainfall Warning for Metro Manila. City sensors also showed generally light rain during the expected travel period. Forecasts indicated that heavier rain would arrive later, when morning students were expected to be home.
However, the rain came earlier than expected and became heavy around lunchtime, coinciding with the students’ trip home. Belmonte admitted that the city was unable to anticipate the timing of the rainfall and acknowledged that morning students were not given enough protection from the situation.
She said she had instructed the city team to review its suspension protocols and identify possible improvements. She also promised to strengthen alternative learning options so suspensions would not result in lost learning days.
