New Rules on Cancellation of Work and School During Typhoons

Details

Category: HR, Labor and Office

Is it true that work in private companies is automatically suspended in case of strong typhoons? Let's tackle this question, together with other salient points of Executive Order No. 66, which is the  issuance of President Benigno Aquino providing for new rules on the cancellation or suspension of classes and work in government offices in case of typhoons, flooding or other calamities.

Private employers not included

The cancellation of work in private employers is not automatic in case of typhoon, flooding and other natural calamities. It's still subject to the discretion of the employer or management. E.O. 66 only covers schools (whether private or public) and government offices.

Suspension or cancellation is automatic

Once a particular typhoon signal is raised, classes in the appropriate school level are automatically cancelled. There is no need for a declaration from the school head. The same is true for government agencies in case of Signal No. 3. For schools and all government offices, the following guidelines shall be followed for the automatic cancellation or suspension of work or classes (public and private elementary, secondary and tertiary schools):

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

b. 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.

c. When Signal No. 3 or higher is raised by PAGASA, classes at preschool, 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.

When there is no typhoon signal

In the absence of typhoon signal warnings from PAGASA, localized cancellation or suspension of classes and work in government offices may be implemented by local chief executives, as chairmen of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (LDRRMC) concerned, in coordination with PAGASA and the NDRRMC, specifically in flood-prone or high risk areas.

In the event of disasters or calamities other than typhoons (e.g., floods, earthquakes, tsunami and conflagration), classes (all levels, public and private schools) and work in the government offices may be cancelled or suspended in the affected areas, upon the declaration by the President of a State of Calamity based on the recommendation of the NDRRMC.

For those who prefer to read the source, see the full text of Executive Order No. 66.