BAGUIO, Philippines — Gone are the days of simple guilt-tripping tactics like “Mayor, hindi kami waterproof (Mayor, we are not waterproof)” or “hindi kami isda (we are not fish).” Baguio students have upped their game in asking for class suspensions, thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), which has made its way into their weather-induced pleas.

After the devastation caused by Typhoon Enteng (Yagi) , social media platforms, particularly the Baguio City Public Information Office Facebook page, saw a flood of comments begging for class suspensions. But this time, the pleas were no ordinary requests—they were AI-aided, elaborate, and witty literary creations.

One comment, dripping with florid vocabulary, read: “To the Honorable Lord of Our Lands, Mayor, Bearer of Dominion, with great humility and reverence, I, a mere student journeying through the trials of this realm, humbly approach your esteemed presence. The winds carry the whispers of a fierce tempest…”

Another post took a poetic approach: “To thy ruler of the mountains and fog, o’er seas of rains we tread. For the morrow arrives soon, a suspension is all we beg… Out future shines clear, if thou shines thy rays. May this plea appeal to thine eyes. And hopefully, a suspension will arise.”

Even in Filipino, students got creative:

“Mayor ng Baguio, kami’y pakinggan.

Sa gitna ng hamog at ulan,

ang aming puso’y puno ng kilig,

sana’y masagot mo, itong munting hiling…”

(Mayor of Baguio, hear our pleas. Amidst the rain, our hearts are filled with expectations. We hope you answer our small wishes.)

As the comments grew, so did the amusement of the netizens. One quipped, “Daming lumalabas na creativity dahil sa pag-aabang ng class suspension ah. May entry na ba lahat? Review na lang kayo at malapit na exams.”

(This wait for class suspensions is bringing out lot of creativity. Does everybody have an entry? Why don’t you just review your lessons, exams are very near.)

Another user playfully accused commenters of using their “old reliable cheat GPT,” a clever reference to ChatGPT, a popular AI tool among students.

Even Mayor Benjamin Magalong found the spectacle entertaining. He jokingly remarked that if these works were all original and not AI-assisted, he would have been tempted to declare a “perpetual class suspension” in recognition of the students’ creativity.

“If I see that it’s originally written and not aided by AI, I would have declared a perpetual suspension,” Magalong said with a laugh. He further added, “We really have to weigh things, consider the severity of the weather and the safety of our learners vis-à-vis the importance of education. We cannot compromise the safety of the students, and at the same time, we cannot sacrifice the value of education.”

The mayor reiterated that class suspension decisions are made based on reliable data from various weather sources, including the newly established Flood Early Warning System (FEWS), and with consultations from school officials.

With AI-assisted creativity making its mark on Baguio’s comment sections, it seems the students will notstop anytime soon in finding novel ways to charm—or challenge—their beloved mayor. Whether it’s tech-savvy ingenuity or heartfelt vernacular, one thing’s for sure: Baguio’s students are ready for anything, rain or shine. – Rappler.com