PHL suspends classes, gov’t work amid bad weather

THE GOVERNMENT suspended classes and government work for Tuesday as the state weather bureau expects heavy rainfall triggered by the low-pressure area (LPA) and the southwest monsoon.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the Department of the Interior and Local Government announced that classes in public and private schools at all levels and work in government offices are suspended in the following areas: Metro Manila, Aurora, Quezon, Rizal, Laguna, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, Masbate, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte.

In a 5 p.m. weather advisory on Facebook, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said it expects heavy rainfall over Aurora, Quezon, Laguna, Rizal, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, Masbate, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, and Southern Leyte due to the LPA; while the southwest monsoon is expected to bring heavy rains over Palawan and Antique until Tuesday afternoon.

In a separate 24-hour forecast, issued at 4 p.m. on Facebook, PAGASA said the LPA was estimated 290 kilometers (km) northeast of Maasin City in Southern Leyte or 130 km east northeast of Borongan City in Eastern Samar, as of 3 p.m.

It added the southwest monsoon is affecting the western section of Southern Luzon.

Meanwhile, more than 50,000 people across several regions in the Philippines were affected by heavy rains and flooding brought by the combined effects of the southwest monsoon and Tropical Cyclone Isang, internationally called Kajiki, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Monday.

In an 8 a.m. situational report, the NDRRMC said a total of 11,374 families, or 50,678 persons were affected in Cagayan Valley (Region II), Bicol (Region V), Soccsksargen (Region XII), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

BARMM recorded the highest number of affected residents, with 24,911 individuals or 5,013 families.

Of these, 329 families or 1,203 persons took shelter in six evacuation centers, while 4,815 families or 24,075 persons were assisted outside evacuation sites.

The state weather bureau monitored a low-pressure area developed into Tropical Depression Isang on Aug. 22, which made landfall over Casiguran, Aurora, two days later, before crossing Northern Luzon. It intensified into a tropical storm as it exited the Philippine area of responsibility on Aug. 23.

Flooding was also reported in at least 30 areas, with 27 incidents in Metro Manila and three in Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur.

Most of the floods in the capital region quickly subsided, but flash floods in Maguindanao resulted in one death after a civilian was swept away while crossing a river in Tubuan, Datu Blah T. Sinsuat.

This comes as the national government ramps up its crackdown on questionable flood control projects, following the typhoons in July that exposed both the country’s overwhelmed drainage systems and alleged corruption in flood mitigation efforts.

The weather disturbance also forced the suspension of classes in 131 cities and municipalities, mostly in the CAR (77 areas), Metro Manila (16 areas), the Ilocos Region (10 areas), Cagayan Valley (10 areas), and Bicol Region (18 areas). Work was likewise suspended in San Agustin, Isabela.

Ten road sections and two bridges in Northern Luzon were rendered impassable at the height of the storm but have since been cleared and reopened.

Authorities reported that 643 families or 1,512 individuals were pre-emptively evacuated in Albay, while government relief operations have reached 1,441 families so far.

Assistance worth P1.7 million has been provided to victims in Cagayan Valley and Bicol Region. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana with CAT