Classes suspended as ‘Gorio’ dumps heavy rain, triggers flooding in Luzon

SCHOOL’S OUT Students walk through a flooded street in Hagonoy town in Bulacan province as school officials suspend classes on Thursday due to heavy rain dumped by Tropical Storm “Gorio.” —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Classes were suspended in all levels in public and private schools in several provinces in Luzon on Thursday due to heavy rain and floods triggered by Tropical Storm “Gorio” and the enhanced southwest monsoon, reports from disaster response agencies and local governments showed.

In Central Luzon, classes were suspended in all levels in public and private schools in 27 towns and cities in Bulacan, Pampanga and Zambales provinces, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) in Central Luzon reported.

Local government and school officials suspended classes in Obando and Pulilan towns, Marilao and Meycauayan cities in Bulacan; Apalit, Candaba, Lubao, San Simon, Masantol, Sasmuan, Mexico, Guagua and Bacolor towns and City of San Fernando in Pampanga; and 13 towns in Zambales.

Rising water levels

Gorio’s rains sent water rising in Angat Dam to 186.23 meters and in Ipo Dam to 100.85 meters. Both dams are in Bulacan, supplying mostly Metro Manila’s drinking water.

Bustos Dam, which takes in water from Angat Dam, opened one gate on Wednesday to discharge water and keep it below the 17.7-meter spilling level, the RDRRMC said.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau warned of landslides in Bataan and Zambales provinces where the Department of Social Welfare and Development prepared more than 2,500 family food packs. Intermittent rains also fell over a wide area in northern Luzon but no damage or flooding was reported.

Heavy rains

In Pangasinan, heavy rains in the western part of the province on Thursday prompted officials to suspend classes from preschool to high school in six towns.

The coastal towns of Bani, Bolinao, Agno, Burgos, Mabini and Dasol had been experiencing light to heavy rains since Tuesday night. Mabini, Burgos and Agno are traversed by Balicaguin River, where water from the Zambales mountains flows before it discharges into the West Philippine Sea.

Suspension of classes

In southern Luzon, heavy rains forced local governments to suspend classes in San Pedro City in Laguna province; in Antipolo City and the towns of Cainta, Binangonan, Taytay, Rodriguez and Baras in Rizal province; and in Cavite province.

In Cavite, ankle-deep floods were reported in parts of Cavite City, Tanza and Noveleta on Thursday, according to Georgina Garcia, information officer of the Calabarzon RDRRMC. Floodwaters subsided by noon, she said.

In Laguna, DRRMC officer Rommel Palacol said their team would keep monitoring water levels in rivers in Sta. Cruz, Bay and Pagsanjan towns and Calamba City.

As of Thursday, water levels stayed below the critical level of 12 meters but disaster response personnel were put on alert should there be a need for evacuation, he said.

In Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) region, small passenger boats from Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro suspended trips but other ports in the region continued normal operations, said DRRMC regional director Eugene Cabrera.

“We are keeping watch on small fishermen who went out to sea. There were no major incidents that required rescue,” Garcia said.

Light to moderate rains were also noted in Masbate and Catanduanes provinces, but there was no suspension of classes in the Bicol region on Thursday, according to the Office of Civil Defense. —REPORTS FROM TONETTE OREJAS, GABRIEL CARDINOZA, MARICAR CINCO, MADONNA T. VIROLA AND MAR S. ARGUELLES