Classes in daycare and elementary levels were canceled in five towns of Misamis Oriental as of 1 p.m. on Thursday, as the province awaited Typhoon “Ompong.”
“These areas experienced intermittent but heavy rains,” said Fernando Vicente Dy, director of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Misamis Oriental, referring to the towns of Lagonglong, Salay, Binoangan, Jasaan and Initao, which had canceled classes even if the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Association had not yet raised the storm signal of the province.
Dy said they would continue to monitor as Ompong entered the Philippine area of responsibility on Wednesday, growing in diameter from 600 kilometers on Tuesday to 900 km and prompting more areas to take precautionary measures.
Misamis Oriental’s disaster office has activated its quick response team for quick deployment while the provincial social welfare and development office readied its emergency packs in cases of evacuations.
In Cagayan de Oro City, eight schools suspended classes from elementary to high school levels; namely: the Balubal Elementary and High School, Cugman Elementary and High School, Malasag Elementary School, Canitoan National High School, Lapasan National High School, Cagayan de Oro National High School, Carmen National High School and Patag National High School.
In Iligan City, Mayor Celso Regencia placed the whole city under alert status and directed all barangays to prepare measures and install constant monitoring and warning alerts.
“Extra measures are recommended for barangays along rivers, along with the coastlines and those in the low-lying areas,” Regencia said in its directive issued on Thursday.
All Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees and its corresponding Barangay Disaster Operation Centers in the city were also directed to be activated.
“People are directed to regularly monitor advisories and updates from the city mayor’s office through Iligan City Radio Stations, emergency communication center. The people are also advised to take precautionary measures against flash floods and landslides,” Regencia’s directive said.
PAGASA’s administrator Vicente Molano said there was still the possibility that it would reach the super typhoon category.