CEBU CITY—Classes were ordered suspended in Cebu province including Mandaue City early on Monday in the wake of heavy rains that triggered floods in some parts of Cebu.
Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing made the announcement of class suspension on his Facebook page at 7 a.m.
He wrote that he decided to suspend classes in all public pre-schools and secondary levels following consultation with the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
He said he also received reports that several schools were experiencing rising water levels after a downpour that started around 6 a.m.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council head Baltazar Tribunalo also went on radio at 8 a.m. to relay the decision of Gov. Hilario Davide III to also suspend classes in the province.
Tribunalo said in an interview over radio station dyAB that they were also monitoring reports on the rising water level in different towns.
Quisimbing said he ordered a pre-emptive evacuation of families living in Barangays (villages) Paknaan, Alang-Alang and Canduman, which are near the Butuanon River which overflowed.
He said that at least 60 families from the Paknaan relocation site were also asked to evacuate after water from the Butuanon River started to flood their area.
Quisimbing said he already directed personnel from the City Social Welfare Office to prepare relief goods for the flood victims and “to also make the evacuation centers a little more comfortable for the evacuees.”
Quisumbing said he would order forced evacuation if needed especially to secure the children.
“We don’t want children to play in the river,” he said.
An eight-year-old drowned last week after he was washed away by floodwaters from the Butuanon River.
Loose soil blocked the roads in Sitio Kan-irag in Barangay Sirao and in Sitio Lupa in Barangay Sapangdaku—two mountain villages in Cebu City.
Nagie Banacia, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, said he dispatched heavy equipment to reopen the road to motorists.
Minor landslides were also reported in Sitio Tabok Metropolis Subdivision in Barangay Pit-os, Sitio Garahe in Barangay Busay, lower Agsungot and at the back of the Binaliw barangay hall.
Banacia said he also deployed his quick response team to monitor the rising water level at the Mahiga Creek.
Flood water at the creek was about to overflow and may pose danger to nearby occupants, he added. RAM/rga
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