04/10/2025
๐๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ก๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐จโ๐ฆ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ
On October 3, 2025, PAGASA raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 over Pampanga due to Tropical Cyclone Paolo. In response, the Angeles City local government suspended classes only up to the senior high school level in public schools โ a directive that Holy Angel University (HAU) mirrored by shifting its Basic Education Department to asynchronous mode. Throughout the day, however, college students continued to enter the campus under relentless rain, until HAU finally announced the suspension of classes at 5:00 p.m., citing โworsening weather conditions.โ
This delayed decision placed students at unnecessary risk, particularly those who commute from outside Angeles City. It disregarded the realities many students face โ long travel hours, flooded routes, and other safety concerns. By the time the announcement was made, many had already been drenched and exposed to hazards despite PAGASAโs advisories warning of heavy rainfall across the province.
Unfortunately, this incident is not isolated; on September 25, neighboring localities and academic institutions had suspended classes in anticipation of inclement weather, while HAU chose not to follow suit. Time and again, Angelites have raised their call for the administration to prioritize student safety โ yet such appeals continue to fall on deaf ears.
These repeated instances reveal a concerning lack of urgency, empathy, and foresight on the part of the administration. It begins its quality policy with the words, โWe are all about students,โ yet its consistent delays in responding to weather-related advisories undermine its duty of care and reflect an alarming disregard for student welfare. For an academic institution that houses thousands of students, decision-making concerning class suspensions must always prioritize safety and well-being โ guided by precaution rather than reaction. Yet, HAUโs hesitation to act decisively suggests that policy takes precedence, and that bureaucratic technicalities outweigh empathy and sound judgment.
From here onwards, we call on the HAU administration to exercise its autonomy responsibly by establishing clear, proactive, and student-centered protocols for class suspensions. Its autonomy should never serve as a pretext for inaction, but rather as a means to protect, empower, and uphold the welfare of the Angelite studentry. For an institution that prides itself on independence, the university must ensure that its actions are likewise grounded in conscience, competence, and compassion โ especially when the safety of its students is at stake.
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