DepEd suspends classes in 21 schools on SONA day

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education on Friday named the 21 public elementary and high schools in Quezon City where classes will be suspended on Monday, July 28, when President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo delivers her State of the Nation Address (SONA). A radio report quoted the Education department as saying that the schools affected by the suspension are those lying along Commonwealth Avenue and in the Fairview area. The report added that classes have been ordered suspended at the following public elementary schools: • Bagong Silang Elementary School • Batasan Elementary School • Commonwealth Elementary School • Dona Juana Elementary School • Holy Spirit Elementary School • Holy Spirit Annex • Lagro Elementary School • Lupang Pangako Elementary School • Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School • North Fairview Elementary High School • Payatas Elementary School A • Payatas Elementary School B • Payatas Elementary School C, and • San Diego Elementary School Meanwhile, the following public high schools will also have no classes on Monday: • Batasan High School • Bagong Silangan High School • Cecilia Muñoz-Palma High School • Commonwealth High School • Judge Feliciano Belmonte High School • Lagro High School, and • North Fairview High School On Thursday, Metro Manila police chief Director Geary Barias announced the class suspension after meeting with the local government of Quezon City. "Traditionally yan ang walang klase pag nagkaroon ng SONA. Sa lakas ng sound system at dami ng taong nagra-rally, usapan namin suspend ang klase doon (Traditionally those are the schools that suspend classes during SONA. We agreed that because of the loud sound system and number of people holding demos, classes in those schools should be suspended)," Barias said in an interview on dzBB radio. Massive protests are slated to be staged on Monday by more than 10,000 demonstrators who would be trooping near the Batasan Pambansa complex, where President Arroyo will deliver her speech before a joint session of Congress. - GMANews.TV