Written by: Sarah
Edited by: Noah
After a slow start to the typhoon season, the Philippine News Agency reports that the three most recent typhoons—Nika, Ofel, and Pepito—have affected over one million families across eight regions in the country. In parts of Luzon, heavy rainfall and flooding led to work and class suspensions that stretched for several weeks.
ISM remained open, as BGC was only mildly affected by the passing storm. However, the storm significantly impacted the homes and commutes of ISM’s local workers. None of the local staff live in or near the BGC area, with some living as far as the province of Cavite.
With this in mind, it is crucial to highlight how student perceptions of typhoons can sometimes lack sensitivity. For example, the common remark of “I hope this typhoon hits Manila so school gets canceled,” may unintentionally overlook the challenges faced by our local staff, whose two-hour commutes are only further worsened during typhoon season. Two Kantina staff from Prego shared, “It’s sad that ISM doesn’t close during typhoons because it’s much better to stay at home and be safe, but we don’t have a choice because this is our work [and] commitment.” Their remark not only highlights the difficulties faced by local staff but also opens a discussion about ISM policies regarding typhoons.
Under ISM’s system of contractualization, workers already lack many employee benefits, such as health insurance or paid leave. Even then, the salary at ISM is reportedly not much higher than that of job offerings in their home districts. Generally, employees seem to prefer ISM primarily for its flexibility. Unlike other workplaces such as restaurants and department stores, which may close around 10 pm or even midnight, ISM closes its canteen at 5 pm, allowing workers to leave early. Staff also appreciate the convenience of regular holidays and weekends off. However, when facing harsh weather conditions, employees still feel compelled to go to work.
“We can ask our boss not to come to work if we cannot make it,” the canteen staff said, but nobody ever does. “No work, no pay,” as they called it.
The challenges of the local staff during typhoon season have sparked discussions among students on how ISM handles class suspensions. Two seniors suggested that parents might partially influence ISM’s decision to remain open during typhoons. One mentioned, “ISM cares a lot about parent and administration viewpoints, and they kind of prioritize that over the staff and local workers. [It’s] interesting because, without them, ISM wouldn’t run and operate.” Her friend added that the local staff is “such an integral asset of the school, but they’re not treated with the importance that they deserve.” Their observations suggest that ISM may need to rethink how it responds to typhoons.
If ISM closed every time a typhoon hit one of the provinces where local workers live, students would likely need to adopt online learning days instead. While this may not be ideal, some students seem open to the change. “One day without school in person, when we all have stable internet and access to computers, isn’t really going to impact us,” one senior noted. Another senior added that local staff are putting themselves in danger each time ISM decides to remain open.
As the seniors pointed out, canceling school during a typhoon or extreme weather is “less about us, and more about them.” They observed that “ISM views the ISM community as consisting of parents, teachers, and students only, but not the workers.” Moreover, ISM staff seem to share this sentiment. When asked if they feel forced to come to work during a typhoon, the Prego staff answered with a shy “yes” and agreed that local employees are not given much of a voice in ISM’s decision-making.
Despite ISM’s efforts to maintain good relations with the Philippines as a host country, there may be room for the school to better align with this commitment. Employees often feel tied to their responsibilities, even amidst severe weather conditions and typhoons. In such a case, ISM might benefit from reevaluating how its response to typhoons affects not just students and faculty but the entirety of its community.
