Social media went abuzz on the night of March 6 after a new Executive Order (EO) issued by Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla regarding class suspensions sparked confusion among students, their parents, teachers, and even some local officials.
Under the amended EO, Remulla has directed schools to conduct either online classes or modular learning amid the suspension of face-to-face classes from March 6 to 12 due to the nationwide transport strike.
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 08 – A- SERIES 2023 AN ORDER DIRECTING THE SUSPENSION OF FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES AND THE…
Posted by Cavite Provincial Information Office on Monday, March 6, 2023
The previous EO only instructed schools to hold classes asynchronously which implies that both in-person and online classes have been canceled.
Just in: Executive Order No. 08, S. 2023 – An order directing the conduct of asynchronous classes in both public and…
Posted by Cavite Provincial Information Office on Saturday, March 4, 2023
But some seemingly misunderstood the EO partly because of its wording, mistakenly believing that all forms of classes — both face-to-face classes and alternative learning modalities – have been totally suspended.
Moreover, it did not help that a Facebook page with a vast following reported the wrong interpretation of the EO, which garnered tens of thousands of reactions before it was taken down.
Screengrab of the now-deleted Facebook post of Go Cavite
The page named “Go Cavite” has since deleted its post and subsequently issued a clarification and an apology.
Screengrab from Go Cavite’s Facebook page
A number of official Facebook pages of mayors and other local officials in the province also posted the EO with the same erroneous caption. These have also already been corrected afterward.
The brouhaha prompted the Public Information Office of the Cavite provincial government to issue a statement reiterating that the amended EO “only suspends [the] holding of face-to-face classes…and directs the implementation of alternative learning modalities such as modular or online classes.”
Ipinababatid ng Executive Order No. 8-A Series 2023 ang suspensyon ng face-to-face classes sa lahat ng antas sa…
Posted by Cavite Provincial Information Office on Monday, March 6, 2023
For some commentators, the lessons to be learned from what happened is to ensure clarity in writing executive orders and to vet news reports before publishing them to avoid misleading the public.
Screengrabs of Facebook comments regarding the amended EO and Go Cavite’s Facebook post
The Cavite Rising reached out to Governor Remulla for his comment it has yet to receive a reply as of posting.
Remulla is popularly known for his humorous #WalangPasok announcements on his official Facebook page which he made usually during inclement weather brought about by typhoons.
Thumbnail photo made via Canva
