BACOLOD CITY -- Classes in all levels in at least four towns in Negros Occidental province were cancelled on Friday to ensure the safety of students amid threats of rains and floods due to Typhoon Ompong.
In the northern town of Toboso, Mayor Richard Jaojoco said he ordered the cancellation of classes based on the recommendation of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Jaojoco, in a radio interview, said some students who live in remote areas have to travel far and even cross rivers just to attend school.
“We want the students to be safe as monsoon rains continue,” he added.
In the south, Cauayan Mayor John Rey Tabujara also announced over the radio on Thursday night the cancellation of classes on Friday.
Tabujara said the municipal government is concerned that students have to travel through bad weather so classes have been cancelled to ensure their safety.
In Moises Padilla, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) approved a resolution on Tuesday declaring the suspension of classes in all levels on Thursday and Friday.
Mayor Marvin Malacon of E.B. Magalona was the latest local chief executive to announce cancellation of classes on the afternoon of the same day.
The MDRRMC noted that possible heavy rains and flooding brought about by the southwest monsoon could be intensified by “Ompong”.
With moderate to heavy rains, the municipality is experiencing flooding in various barangays, posing danger to pupils and students during class days, it added.
“The Council found it necessary to declare suspension of classes in all levels, both public and private, to put children in safety and to attain zero casualty,” the resolution added. (PNA)
