GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 10 Feb) – Classes in all levels were suspended on Friday morning in Banga town in South Cotabato due to continuous heavy rains in the area.
Banga Mayor Albert Palencia declared the class suspension in a memorandum issued to the Department of Education’s district supervisors and school heads of both public and private schools within the municipality.
He said the move is in adherence to Executive Order No. 66, series of 2012 or the guidelines in the suspension of classes and work in government offices due to typhoon, flooding, other weather disturbances and calamities.
The declaration covers all grade and year levels in pre-school, elementary, high school and college, he said.
“The declaration is for the safety of our people in the municipality, especially the students,” the mayor said.
Banga town and nearby areas has been experiencing sporadic heavy rains since early Friday but there are no immediate reports of flooding, landslides and related incidents in the affected areas.
In Surallah town, the local government and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office is currently monitoring the situation in several barangays as a result of the continuing rains.
Among those being monitored are areas traversed by the critical Banga and Allah Rivers, which recorded major flashfloods during the rainy season in the past years.
South Cotabato was included in the thunderstorm advisory issued on Friday morning by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
It advised residents “to take precautionary measures against heavy rains, strong winds and possible flashfloods and landslides.” (MindaNews)
