• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Dec. 5 face-to-face classes in all levels, both public and private, have been suspended in Bacolod, Negros Oriental, and several towns and cities in Negros Occidental due to Tropical Depression “Wilma”.
Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasayata issued Executive Order (EO) 76-2025, suspending classes in all levels today, upon the recommendation of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council due to the yellow heavy rainfall warning issued by the DOST-PAGASA for Bacolod, due to “Wilma”.
“Schools are encouraged to shift to modular distance learning performance tasks and projects to ensure that learning competencies are met,” Gasataya said in a statement Dec. 4, adding the Bacolod Emergency Operations Center has been placed under a red alert status “to ensure heightened monitoring, rapid response, and coordinated action among all concerned agencies.”
As of press time, the mayors of Bago, Cadiz, Calatrava, Talisay, Silay, Victorias, San Carlos, Sagay, Sipalay, Escalante, Hinoba-an, Binalbagan, La Castellana, E.B. Magalona, and Kabankalan also announced the suspension of classes in their respective cities and towns.
Negros Oriental Governor Chaco Sagarbarria likewise issued an EO suspending classes at all levels in public and private schools in the province, also due to “Wilma”, that he said, is affecting the Visayas Region and Negros Oriental.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, meanwhile, ordered the pre-emptive evacuation of persons and families in high-risk areas in the province, and placed the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) Emergency Operations Center on red alert status.
Lacson, as chairperson of the PDRRMC, also activated various provincial response clusters, like camp coordination and management, food and non-food items, logistics, search, rescue and retrieval, health, law and order, clearing and civil works, and education.
“All concerned offices, agencies, and LDRRMOs are advised to submit their respective preparedness measures and response actions, and conduct preemptive evacuation, if necessary. Any untoward incident related to (TD Wilma) should be promptly reported and coordinated through the PDRRMC EOC, and situation reports submitted,” he added.
As of the 5 p.m. weather bulletin, “Wilma” was estimated based on all available data at 575-kilometer east of Catarman, Northern Samar, with maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 55 km/h, and central pressure of 1004 hPa.
Tropical cyclone wind signal 1 has been hoisted over Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, the northern portion of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, and the eastern and central portions of Bohol, in Visayas; Surigao del Norte, including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands, Dinagat Islands, the northern portion of Surigao del Sur, and the northern portion of Agusan del Norte in Mindanao; as well as the southern portion of mainland Masbate in Luzon.
The center of “Wilma” may make its initial landfall in Eastern Visayas, or Dinagat Islands this evening and Saturday morning, the DOST-PAGASA said. “Afterwards, it will continue to traverse Visayas until Dec. 7, will emerge over Sulu Sea, and may pass over northern Palawan between Sunday evening and Monday morning.” | CGC
