Classes suspended in Eastern Visayas towns, cities due to ‘Amang’

TACLOBAN CITY—As Eastern Visayas was placed under storm signal number 1 due to Tropical Depression ‘Amang,’ local government units suspended classes, both in public and private schools on Monday (Jan.21).

In Tacloban City, Mayor Cristina Romualdez issued Executive Order 2019-01-001 suspending classes in all levels due to the threat of Amang, the first weather disturbance to hit the city and the rest of the region this year.

The city governments of Ormoc and Baybay, both in Leyte; Maasin in Southern Leyte; Calbayog and Catbalogan, both in Samar; and Borongan in Eastern Samar also suspended classes to ensure the safety of the students.

The provincial governments of Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Northern Samar have also declared a one-day suspension of classes due to Amang.

Likewise, several towns in Biliran, Samar, and Eastern Samar provinces also suspended their classes.

In Northern Samar, which was severely affected by last month’s Tropical Depression ‘Usman,’ families were affected in four of its towns.

Rei Josiah Echano, provincial disaster risk reduction management officer, said 62 families, consisting of 238 individuals, were evacuated due to the threat of flooding and landslide incident.

The families were from the towns of Catarman (2 families or 10 persons); Palapag (39 families consisting of 149 individuals); Mapanas (14 families involving 58 persons) and Lope de Vega, seven families comprising 21 individuals.

The town of Lope de Vega is still recovering from the onslaught of Usman which affected practically more than 14,000 people and killed five others.

About 1,083 passengers were stranded in the ports of Bhalwarteco and Dapdap, and Santa Clara Jubasan, all in Allen town; and in San Isidro town.

Both towns are located in Northern Samar.

In San Francisco town, Southern Leyte, a nine-year-old boy, Santino Alfreda, who was reported to have drowned in a river at their village in Bongbong Sunday afternoon, was found and rescued on Monday morning.

The San Franciso police did not provide details on how the boy was rescued./lzb