GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 20 February) – – Classes in all levels in both public and private schools were suspended Friday in the entire Sultan Kudarat and in some parts of South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces due to the moderate to heavy rainfall caused by the prevailing shear line affecting Mindanao.
Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao of General Santos City, a chartered city in South Cotabato, ordered the suspension of classes in the city due to the rains, which caused flooding in some parts.
“The welfare and safety of Generals remain a top priority of the city government,” she said in a statement in Filipino.
The towns of Tampakan and Polomolok in South Cotabato also suspended classes in all levels, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office announced.
In nearby Alabel, the capital of Sarangani, Mayor Lilibeth Salarda also suspended classes due to heavy rainfall in the locality.
“This measure aims to ensure the safety and well-being of students and school personnel amid adverse weather conditions that may cause flooding, transportation difficulties, and other hazards,” she said.
She cited the warning of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) of possible flash floods and landslides due to moderate to, at times, heavy rainfall.
In Malungon, also in Sarangani, Mayor Reynaldo Constantino also cancelled classes in all levels for both public and private schools due to constant rainfall.
In Sultan Kudarat province, Gov. Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu ordered the suspension of classes in all levels for both public and private schools across the province effective 12 p.m. Friday.
He cited the extreme general flood advisory and heavy rainfall warning issued by PAGASA in the area.
Based on PAGASA Flood Advisory 1 issued at 9:30 a.m. Friday, the main Buayan and Malungon Rivers, including their major tributaries from the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani and Davao del Sur, have shown a slight increase but they were still below their respective alert levels as of 9 a.m. today.
A shear line is the convergence of cold and warm winds, which triggers rains, according to PAGASA.(Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
