WATER EVERYWHERE. Motorists drive through a flooded portion of General Hizon Extension in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga on Monday (Sept. 4, 2023) due to moderate to heavy rains brought by Typhoon Hanna and enhanced southwest monsoons. Some local government units in Central Luzon declared class and work cancellations to ensure the safety of the residents due to bad weather. (Photo courtesy of the City Government of San Fernando)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Some local government units (LGUs) in Central Luzon ordered the suspension of classes and office work on Monday as the southwest monsoon enhanced by Typhoon Hanna brought intermittent moderate to heavy rains over the region.
Governor Dennis Pineda, in his Executive Order No. 28-2023, suspended classes at all levels, both in private and public schools, in Pampanga province.
Angeles City also suspended classes at all levels in both private and public schools.
Aside from the suspension of classes, San Fernando City also declared work cancellation due to floods reported in some portions of the villages in Dolores, San Pedro Cutud, Maimpi, Pandara, Sta. Teresita, San Jose Purok 3, Dela Paz Sur Purok 4, San Nicolas, Magliman, Lourdes and Calulut New Barrio.
In Bataan, Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III declared the suspension of classes in private and public schools at all levels in the province as per the recommendation of the Bataan Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office.
In Tarlac, localized suspension of classes was declared at all levels in both public and private schools in the towns of Bamban Capas, Concepcion, Victoria, San Jose, La Paz and Tarlac City.
In Zambales, similar class suspensions were issued in the towns of Subic, Castillejos, San Marcelino, San Antonio, San Narciso, San Felipe, Cabangan, Masinloc, Candelaria and Sta Cruz.
Olongapo City also suspended classes at all levels in both public and private schools.
In Bulacan, localized suspension of classes was declared in 20 cities and municipalities.
“Sa ngayon dahil sa patuloy na pag-ulan, apat lang LGUs ang hindi nag-suspend ng klase at ito ay Doña Remedios Trinidad, Marilao and yung dalawang malaking cities of Meycauayan and San Jose Del Monte (As of now, due to continuous rains, only four LGUs did not suspend classes and these are Doña Remedios Trinidad, Marilao and the two big cities of Meycauayan and San Jose Del Monte),” Manuel Lukban, head of the Bulacan Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said in a radio interview.
Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando also declared the suspension of work in all public offices in the province starting at 2 p.m. except for offices that provide emergency/health/social and other basic needs of the people.
"Respective heads of private companies are likewise encouraged to cancel work to safeguard their personnel," Fernando said in a memorandum.
Since Saturday, most areas in Bulacan have been experiencing intermittent rains that have caused floods in some coastal areas of Hagonoy, Paombong, Ubando, Calumpit and Malolos City aggravated by high tides.
“Hindi pa tayo nakakaranas ng regular na pagbaha sa kabuuan ng Bulacan. Ang pagbabaha nararanas sa ngayon ay cause of high tide kasi noon mga nakaraang araw ay talagang mataas ang high tide at halos umabot ng four feet at yung pagbaha ay dun lang sa mga coastal areas (We have yet to experience regular floods in the entire Bulacan. The floods that we are experiencing now are caused by high tide because in the past days, the high tide was really high and reached to almost four feet and the floods were in the coastal areas),” Lukban said.
Meanwhile, he said the water level at the Angat River is still low based on the monitoring report.
As of 11 a.m. Monday, the Angat Dam water level was 202.23 meters above sea level (masl), which is still 9.77 meters away from its spilling level of 212 meters.
The Ipo Dam, on the other hand, reached 101.12 masl as against its spilling level of 101 meters and is discharging 34.70 cubic meters per second while the water level in Bustos Dam reached 17.16 masl as against its spilling level of 17.35 meters. (PNA)
