Overnight downpour causes floods in M'Mla. Residents of Barangay Roxas in Quezon City wade in knee-deep water on Monday after heavy rain spawned by Tropical Storm Butchoy left many parts of Metro Manila flooded. Julius Segovia

Malacañang noted on Monday the new standard operating procedure for suspending classes due to bad weather needs some improvement.
 
Based on Department of Education Order No. 43, it is now the responsibility of local government units to suspended classes or not in the absence of a storm warning signal from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told reporters during a briefing at the Palace.  
 
Classes were suspended in some parts of Luzon, including parts of Metro Manila, but there were parents who complained that they did not get the notice on time.
 
“Maybe it’s a matter of informing the parents a little early, Lacierda said. “Again, it depends on the assessment of the LGUs... So we will just have to improve the system. But I guess this is just the–What do you call this?–the learning curve,” he added.
 
“If there were some complaints by parents as to the lateness of the information, that’s something that we need to analyze and discuss amongst ourselves… What’s the better way of improving the system,” the Palace official noted.
 
DepEd Order No. 43 was based on Executive Order No. 66, signed by President Benigno Aquino III last Jan. 9.
 
"The concerned Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO) headed by the local chief executive shall be responsible for announcing the suspension of classes and work in the government offices in the affected areas in coordination with the NDRRMC, through all forms of mass media available under the circumstances," according to EO 66.
 
Classes and work in government offices are automatically suspended under the following circumstances:

When Signal No. 1 is raised by PAGASA, classes at the pre-school level, in the affected area, shall be automatically canceled or suspended.
 
 

When Signal No. 2 is raised by PAGASA, classes at the pre-school, elementary and secondary levels, in the affected area, shall be automatically cancelled or suspended.
 
 

When Signal No. 3 or higher is raised by PAGASA, classes at pre-school, elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels, in the affected area, including graduate school, as well as work in all government offices, shall be automatically cancelled or suspended.