• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Due to inclement weather caused by Tropical Storm Kristine, face-to-face classes in about 611 schools in Negros Occidental, including the highly-urbanized Bacolod City, were suspended on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office also alerted San Carlos City, Calatrava, Toboso, Escalante City, Sagay City, Salvador Benedicto, Cadiz City, Manapla, Victorias City, Enrique B. Magalona, Silay City, Talisay City, Bacolod City, Murcia, Bago City, Pulupandan, Valladolid, San Enrique, La Carlota City, Pontevedra, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Hinigaran, and Isabela of heavy rainfall, wherein flooding is possible in in low-lying areas and landslide in mountainous areas.
Under the supervision of the Negros Occidental Schools Division Office (SDO), a total of 226 schools suspended their classes, some of them even started on Oct. 21, with more than 70 schools under the Division of Bacolod, 81 schools in Cadiz City, 48 in Escalante City, 119 in Kabankalan City, 64 in Himamaylan City and three in San Carlos City.
In the whole of Western Visayas, a total of 728,455 students were affected by the class suspension, of which 99,044 students are from the Negros Occidental SDO.
Flooding in eight barangays of the cities of Bago and Cadiz in Negros Occidental also triggered the evacuation of 316 families, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Irene Bel Ploteña said in a report.
In Bacolod City, a total of 111 families, composed of 251 individuals, in Barangay Sum-ag were temporarily moved to an evacuation center because of flashfloods, according to reports of the City Social Welfare and Development Office.
Because of the strong to gale-force winds, scheduled trips of M/V Reiseschat 1 from Pulupandan to Guimaras was suspended.
Cmdr. Jansen Benjamin, Coast Guard Northern Negros Occidental chief, alerted larger sea vessels against big waves, advising them to take extra precautionary measures during unfavorable weather condition to avert maritime incident. | GB
