Rains disrupt classes anew

MANILA, Philippines – Classes in all public elementary and high schools in Metro Manila were suspended anew yesterday due to heavy rains.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said that the decision to suspend classes was made by Department of Education (DepEd)-National Capital Region director Teresita Domalanta.

The DepEd-NCR announced the decision to suspend classes after monitoring the weather and flood situation in Metro Manila the whole morning and receiving reports of heavy rains in the different cities and municipalities in the metropolis.

Domalanta yesterday said the city school division of Manila declared suspension classes of day care pupils, elementary and high school students.

In Malabon, the city government suspended classes at the Malabon National High School where floodwaters covered the streets in the area.

This as the DepEd yesterday implemented localized suspension of classes.

Radio reports quoted Domalanta as saying that under the localized suspension policy, school superintendents, principals or local government officials are given the authority to suspend classes if there is no typhoon signal.

Lapus said that since nobody can really predict weather conditions, it is best to leave the judgment call to school officials. 

“What is important is the welfare and safety of the students,” Lapus said in a Daungan ng Balita news forum at the Danarra Hotel in Quezon City.

The suspension of classes is based on the level of storm signal of an approaching typhoon.   

In the past two days, Metro Manila experienced heavy rains that triggered flooding despite the absence of a storm, resulting in the suspension of classes.

Lapus pointed out that parents could make the decision not to let their children go to school due to bad weather.

He said that Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) had not forecast heavy rains yesterday in its weather forecast update late Wednesday night.

DepEd, he said, continues to get updates from the weather bureau to come up with early decisions on suspension of classes.

Tornado hits residential area in UP

Meanwhile, a strong tornado hit yesterday a slum area inside the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, Quezon City, destroying several houses and toppling an electric post, the state weather bureau said.

Nathaniel Cruz, deputy administrator for operations and services of Pagasa, said the tornado occurred past 9 a.m.

Cruz said before the tornado struck, residents experienced heavy downpour and strong winds, and heard a whistling sound.

Aside from the damaged shanties, several big trees and electrical posts were uprooted, Cruz said.

Cruz said tornadoes are common during severe thunderstorms, adding these can happen anywhere in the country.

He said unlike tropical cyclones, occurrence and intensities of tornadoes could not be predicted by the weather bureau.

Cruz, meanwhile, advised Filipinos to look for safer places in their home where family members could gather during a tornado like an underground shelter.

Tornadoes develop from severe thunderstorms in warm, moist, unstable air along and ahead of cold fronts. Such thunderstorms may also generate large hail and damaging winds. Landfalling tropical cyclones also generate tornadoes.

Meanwhile, Pagasa warned residents in western Luzon against possible landslides and flashfloods as monsoon rains would continue to prevail over the area this weekend.

A low-pressure area off extreme Northern Luzon has enhanced the southwest monsoon, triggering heavy rains over most parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila.

Pagasa said Luzon would experience monsoon rains which may trigger flashfloods and landslides over the western section, while Visayas would have cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms.

The rest of the country would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening. - Rainier Allan Ronda, Helen Flores, Dennis Carcamo, Michael Punongbayan, Perseus Echeminada