u/DebateNo7518

As a student, and more importantly as a student-leader, I recognize the intent behind Executive Order No. 12, Series of 2025 of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. I understand that policies must be anchored on official data, such as those provided by PAGASA, to ensure objectivity and consistency. Pero kailangan din nating maging tapat, na there is a clear disconnect between what is measured on paper and what is actually experienced on the ground.

Hindi sapat na sabihin na “hindi pa danger level” kung ang mismong realidad sa loob ng campus ay tila lampas na doon. Sa classrooms na siksikan, kulang sa ventilation, may pawala-walang kuryente, at electric fans na hindi sapat o minsan hindi pa gumagana, the heat becomes unbearable. Hindi lang ito simpleng inconvenience, it is a structural issue that directly affects our health, dignity, and right to quality education.

Araw-araw, students are forced to endure conditions that are far from conducive to learning. Yung papasok ka pa lang, pagod ka na agad. Pag-upo mo sa klase, hindi ka makapag-focus dahil sa init. And over time, this is not just physically draining, it becomes mentally exhausting. This is not the kind of environment where meaningful learning happens. This is survival.

I know na hindi kami dapat nasasanay sa ganitong kondisyon. Hindi dapat normal na tinitiis na lang namin ang kakulangan ng maayos na pasilidad habang inaasahan kaming mag-perform academically. Access to education is not just about being present in a classroom, it is about being able to learn in a space that is safe, humane, and conducive.

Kaya naman, this is a call not just for reconsideration, but for a more responsive and people-centered implementation of the policy. Heat index should not be treated as the sole determinant of class modality. The university must also account for on-the-ground realities, actual classroom conditions, infrastructure limitations, and the lived experiences of students. If the environment is already compromising students’ well-being and capacity to learn, then shifting to online or alternative modes is not a convenience, it is a necessity.

Maybe, we can consider localized and contextualized monitoring systems. Hindi naman pare-pareho ang kondisyon ng iba’t ibang lugar. What is recorded in one station may not accurately reflect the situation within the campus. A policy that claims to protect students must be rooted in the realities students actually face.

At the end of the day, gusto rin naman namin pumasok at matuto. Pero sana, in doing so, hindi naman kailangan isakripisyo yung health at capacity namin just to keep up. Sana we can find that balance, between policy and reality, between consistency and compassion.

Hindi kami humihingi ng special treatment. Ang hinihingi namin ay makatao, makatarungan, at makabuluhang kondisyon para sa pagkatuto. Because education should empower us, not exhaust us before it even begins.