BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Landslides were reported in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental and Ayungon, Negros Oriental, as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council issued a bulletin for Orange Rainfall Waring in Negros Island, warning of heavy rains, flooding and landslides.
Furthermore, classes were suspended yesterday in San Carlos City and Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental due to Tropical Depression Paeng.
Moises Padilla Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo disclosed that classes will resume by October 28, or sooner.
A landslide occurred Tuesday night along the upper portion of the San Carlos City Eco-translink highway in Negros Occidental.
While no one was hurt in the landslide, debris blocked the highway which links San Carlos City to the municipalities of Don Salvador Benedicto, Murcia and Bacolod City, according to Provincial Disaster Management Program Division chief Zeaphard Gerhart Caelian.
Several buses were reported to have been stuck for almost 30 minutes while landslide areas were cleared.
Classes at all levels were also suspended at the Canlukduhan Elementary School in Brgy. Gomentoc in Ayungon, Negros Oriental after a landslide on Oct. 24.
Investigations revealed that heavy rains on Sunday evening loosened the soil, causing the landslide.
No casualties were reported by the police.
Classes and work were suspended on Oct. 26 by the Schools Division of San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, based on the memorandum issued by Division Superintendent Ma. Lorlinie Ortillo.
In her memorandum dated Oct. 26, Ortillo said that in the event of natural disaster, power outages or interruptions and other calamities, online classes and work in kindergarten to grade 12 and Alternative Learning System are automatically cancelled in schools situated in local government units issued with Orange and Red Rainfall Warning by PAGASA.
On the other hand, the Emergency Operations Center of San Carlos City also raised the Unified Alert Level 3, or Code Red, due to high risk of flooding caused by heavy downpours caused by the trough of Tropical Depression Paeng and the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone.* with PNA reports
