THE QUEZON City government on Friday called on the management of Colegio de San Lorenzo to stop requiring parents to sign a waiver before they can get a refund of the tuition and other fees paid to the school.

“It is not the obligation of the parents to sign a waiver. The school cannot use the waiver as a requirement before they can get a refund,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said in a statement.

City Attorney Orlando Paolo Casimiro said CDSL should fulfill its commitment to immediately refund the payment to the parents and students.

“The school cannot limit the legal options of the parents of students affected by its sudden closure by requiring them to sign a waiver,” Casimiro said.

On Monday, the school management cited “financial instability and lack of financial viability brought about by the ongoing pandemic and exacerbated by consistent low enrollment turnout” as the reason for its closure.

The City Legal Department and the Education Affairs Unit have been monitoring compliance with the refund of school fees.

It also provides legal assistance and advice to parents while the Education Affairs Unit has been coordinating with prospective schools for the transfer of displaced students.

As for the teachers and non-teaching personnel who lost their jobs, the city government will refer them to the Public Employment Service Office and other concerned offices for possible job placement or livelihood opportunities.

“Sisiguruhin ng lokal ng pamahalaan na lahat ng mga apektado ng biglaang pagsasara na ito ay mabibigyan ng karampatang tulong,” Belmonte said.