AKLAN — The Municipality of Ibajay has declared a state of calamity and suspended classes and work following the widespread destruction caused by recent typhoons that battered the town, leaving massive flooding, damaged infrastructures, and displaced families.
The Sangguniang Bayan, during a special session, passed Resolution No. 2025-061, placing Ibajay under a state of calamity to enable the immediate use of the municipal calamity fund for relief, rehabilitation, and recovery efforts. The declaration followed extensive damage across all 35 barangays, affecting homes, agriculture, fisheries, public infrastructures, and utilities.
Mayor Jose Miguel M. Miraflores also issued Executive Order No. 28, suspending classes at all levels in public and private schools, as well as work in government and private offices, on Monday, September 29. The order cited the urgent need for homes, schools, and workplaces to undergo cleaning and repair, and for communities to recover from flooding and other hazards triggered by Typhoon “Opong.”
Essential government offices, including the Municipal Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), and the Municipal Health Office (MHO), will continue operations with skeletal teams. The Municipal Treasurer’s Office will also remain open to process financial aid, salaries, and other urgent transactions.
Private businesses were given discretion to adopt the suspension, but the local government stressed that safeguarding lives and public health remains its top priority.
Mayor Miraflores, Vice Mayor Nestor Francisco M. Inocencio, and members of the Sangguniang Bayan assured residents of coordinated efforts to address the devastation and hasten recovery.
“The state of calamity declaration and work suspension are necessary steps to restore normalcy. We will continue to mobilize resources to assist affected families and rebuild damaged sectors,” the mayor said./PN
