ILOILO City – Torrential rains and widespread flooding spawned by the southwest monsoon or habagat forced 196 schools across Western Visayas to suspend face-to-face classes on August 18, disrupting the education of 150,237 learners.
Iloilo Province recorded the most suspensions, with 113 schools and 67,673 affected learners, data from the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6 showed.
In Iloilo City, 66 schools serving around 73,127 learners suspended in-person classes, while Guimaras reported 17 affected schools with 9,437 learners.
DepEd-6 said the suspensions were ordered after assessments and analysis of real-time weather data showed that continuing face-to-face classes could endanger learners, teachers and other school personnel, particularly in flood-prone communities.
Alternative Delivery Modes were activated to ensure learning continuity while students remained at home.
The Iloilo City Emergency Operations Center also recommended that educational institutions shift to online classes, asynchronous learning, modular instruction or other distance-learning arrangements until conditions improve.
DepEd-6 information officer Hernani Escullar Jr. stressed the need to implement Blended Learning Delivery Modalities during class suspensions.
“Teachers are encouraged to develop home learning activities tailored to the needs and circumstances of their students,” he said.
DepEd-6 also urged local government units and school administrators to carry out their modular distance-learning plans and adopt other appropriate strategies to prevent prolonged disruption of classes.
Iloilo City’s Mayor Raisa Treñas, meanwhile, called on residents to remain alert and prepare for possible emergencies as heavy rains continued to affect the city and surrounding areas.
“Maghalong kita, mga Ilonggo,” she urged.
Floodwaters surrounded La Paz Elementary School in Iloilo City’s La Paz district, illustrating the dangerous conditions that prompted the suspension of classes at all levels in the city on August 18.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), rains are expected to continue pouring across the western parts of the country for the rest of the week. This is because two low pressure areas (LPAs) draw in the southwest monsoon.
According to PAGASA’S advisory earlier on Tuesday, the two LPAs have high chances of developing into tropical depressions within the next 24 hours.
The first LPA (LPA 08f) was last located at 1,170 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon, while the other second LPA (LPA 08g) was at 400 km west of Calayan, Cagayan.
The two LPAs are helping pull the habagat toward the country, which brings rains to the Philippines’ western sections.
A tropical depression is also being monitored east of the Philippines.
It is located more than 3,000 kilometers away and has no effect in the country for now./PN
