Flooding hits Surigao del Sur

DAVAO CITY—Classes and work were suspended in several towns in Surigao del Sur after relentless rain this week caused flooding and landslides in many parts of the province.

Tandag City Mayor Roxanne Pimentel suspended classes in the elementary level both in public and private educational institutions on Friday morning because of the heavy rain.

Pimentel also declared work suspended both in government and private institutions as the rain caused flooding in the city, including Tandag Airport.

The Surigao del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) said classes in all levels were suspended in Cortes town and in the elementary level in Madrid town.

The local government of San Miguel town also suspended classes in all levels while elementary and high school classes were also suspended in the towns of Lanuza and San Cantilan.

Low-lying villages, including the poblacion area in San Miguel town, are now flooded after Tago River overflowed because of the heavy rain, provincial officials said.

As the bad weather continued to dump rainwater in the province, the national highway between Tandag City and Cortes was declared not passable due to landslides in the villages of Matho and Balibadon, Surigao del Sur, according to Abel de Guzman of PDRRMC. With a report from Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao