MANILA, Philippines—School officials in the Visayas and Mindanao are on alert to monitor weather conditions as Tropical Storm “Ramon” threatened several provinces in the regions.
The oncoming weather system prompted school officials in Siargao and Surigao City in Surigao del Norte to suspend classes from kindergarten to high school on Tuesday as much of central and southern Philippines braced for heavy rains.
Several provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao were placed under Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1 Tuesday morning.
“Our local (education) officials already have the initiative to check weather conditions in their areas. We remind school heads to make the necessary preparations to secure school facilities and equipment and to ensure the safety of students,” said the Department of Education (DepEd) Communications Unit.
DepEd said school officials from the regional to the school level had the authority to suspend classes in their areas in case of severe weather and flooding.
Per DepEd policy, classes from pre-school to high school are automatically suspended in areas under Storm Signal No. 2. Local school officials may also call off classes even without a storm signal in case weather conditions become too risky for students to come to school.
DepEd is bearing the brunt of a new weather disturbance while still reeling from the effects of typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel,” which damaged several schools in much of Luzon.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro said in an earlier interview that schools sustained mostly minor damage after the twin typhoons.
DepEd’s Disaster Risk Management Office last week placed the damage toll at around P150 million in more than 300 public elementary and high schools, mostly in Central Luzon and the Bicol region.