College students in Cebu City are asking Mayor Nestor Archival to suspend face-to-face classes at the tertiary level as Metro Cebu’s air quality remained at a “very unhealthy” level amid the reported transboundary haze.
John Tyler Calderon, president of the School of Arts and Sciences Student Council of the University of San Carlos, said students submitted a unified letter of appeal to Archival on Monday seeking the suspension of tertiary-level face-to-face classes from Sept. 7 to 8.
Calderon said the appeal focused on the health and safety of college students, who remain exposed to the same environmental conditions affecting younger students.
“We believe that environmental and health risks do not distinguish by educational level, and the physical safety and well-being of college students must never be treated as an afterthought,” Calderon said.
“Dili ta ironman.”
The students also urged the Environmental Management Bureau Region VII (EMB 7) and the Department of Health Region VII (DOH 7) to issue formal advisories on the health implications of the haze.
Archival formally received the appeal, but the Cebu City Government had yet to order the suspension of face to face classes for college students.
City Chief of Staff Kenneth Siasar said Archival was monitoring the situation but could not immediately decide on further class suspensions without a resolution from the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO).
“Gimonitor na sa atong mayor. But the mayor cannot make decision right away without the resolution coming from the disaster sa atong CDRRMO,” Siasar said.
Siasar said the city had prepared hospitals for possible respiratory cases linked to the haze.
“Nagpaandam kita og kanang nebulizer and some other medicines,” he said.
Hospitals also established a fast lane for patients experiencing breathing difficulties because of the haze, separate from the existing fast lane for dengue patients.
Siasar said the city had received reports of asthma exacerbation linked to the haze.
He explained that the city’s existing measures prioritized younger students, whom authorities considered more vulnerable because they may not consistently follow precautions such as wearing masks.
“Ang most vulnerable sector man gud sa atong mga estudyante, ang katong mga bata,” Siasar said.
He said college students were considered more capable of protecting themselves.
“I-compare nimo sa college nga they are responsible enough to protect themselves. They can wear kanang mask all the time,” Siasar said.
Siasar said younger children may remove their masks while playing, increasing their exposure to unhealthy air. He said this was among the reasons colleges were not included in the current suspension directive.
The students’ appeal came as EMB 7 continued to monitor air quality across the region.
As of 11 a.m. Monday, the Metro Cebu monitoring station recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 157, classified as “very unhealthy.”
EMB 7 advised residents to stay indoors and reschedule or cancel outdoor activities and exercise. Those who could not avoid going outside were advised to wear a well fitting N95 or KN95 mask for higher filtration protection.
The agency also urged the public to take extra precautions for vulnerable groups, including children, older adults, pregnant individuals and people with heart or lung conditions such as asthma.
The EMB 7 monitoring station in Barangay Cabitoonan, Toledo City, meanwhile, recorded an AQI of 48, classified as “good.”
Calderon said students wanted EMB 7 and DOH 7 to issue clear, data driven recommendations on whether tertiary level face to face classes should continue amid the haze.
The students said delays in issuing health guidance should not come at the expense of their safety.
Siasar urged residents who needed to leave home to wear masks, particularly those with asthma or other respiratory conditions.
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