Manila, Philippines - The state weather bureau yesterday advised students going back to school on Monday to bring umbrellas as moderate to heavy rains are likely to prevail over Luzon and the Visayas in the next few days due to the enhanced southwest monsoon.
The Department of Education (DepEd), meanwhile, allowed local government units (LGUs) to decide on the suspension of classes in their respective areas during times of heavy rains and floods.
While the automatic default system of DepEd on the cancellation of classes during typhoons will still be based on the storm warning sent out by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the DepEd said the responsibility to suspend classes now lies with the local government officials as they are in a better position to assess the local situation.
PAGASA yesterday raised storm warning signal number 1 over Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Polillo Island, Aurora and Isabela as “Ambo” intensified into a tropical storm.
PAGASA administrator Nathaniel Servando, however, said Ambo (international name “Mawar”) is not expected to make landfall in any part of the country but it will bring occasional to frequent rains over the western section of Southern Luzon and the Visayas until Monday.
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of Ambo was spotted at 190 kilometers northeast of Virac, Catanduanes with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 80 kph.
PAGASA weather division chief Robert Sawi said Ambo is likely to intensify further within the next 24 to 48 hours.
The storm was moving north northwest at 15 kph.
Sawi said Metro Manila will experience cloudy skies with frequent rains during school opening on Monday.
The weather bureau officially declared the onset of the rainy season in the country last Thursday.
When to suspend classes
In the absence of typhoon signals from PAGASA, localized suspension of classes in both public and private schools and work in government offices may be implemented by the local chief executives in their capacity as chairpersons of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (LDRRMC).
Also, based on the recent inter-agency Oplan Balik Eskwela Task Force meeting, PAGASA will include in its weather bulletin not only the storm signal but also the reminder to suspend classes depending on the storm signal.
The order further stipulated that any decision to suspend classes must come from the local government. A school head may only cancel or suspend classes in cases where urgent action is needed to prevent bodily harm or loss of lives.
Concerned local DepEd and private school officials are directed to coordinate closely with LGUs in times of inclement weather.
DepEd said this transfer of responsibility was contained in Executive Order 66 signed by President Aquino on Jan. 9, 2012.
Based on the EO, DepEd issued Order No. 43 to guide its regional, division and school officials on actions to take in times of calamities and adverse weather conditions.
The order applies to both public and private schools.
DepEd Order No. 43 provides that Storm Signal No. 1 raised by PAGASA calls for public and private pre-school and kindergarten classes in the affected areas to be automatically suspended.
At Signal No. 2 the suspension will also include elementary and secondary classes.
When Signal No. 3 is announced, classes in all levels and work in all DepEd offices are cancelled. Depending on the signal announced between 10 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. the following day, classes in appropriate levels for the whole day are deemed automatically suspended.
Based on the EO, local officials are expected to announce cancellation of classes not later than 4:30 a.m. for whole day cancellation and 11:00 a.m. for afternoon class suspension.
PAGASA, on the other hand, warned fishermen and operators of small sea vessels not to venture into the eastern seaboard of Luzon and the Visayas due to big waves associated with Ambo.
Aurelio said Ambo was not expected to make landfall in any part of the country and is likely to exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Monday.
“Ambo will enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring rains over most parts of Luzon and Visayas. We expect moderate to heavy rains during the opening of classes on Monday,” Aurelio said.
Ambo is predicted to be at 420 km north northeast of Virac, Catanduanes or 310 km northeast of Casiguran, Aurora by this morning. It will be at 540 km northeast of Aparri, Cagayan by tomorrow morning and 790 km northeast of Basco, Batanes by Monday morning.
Anti-dengue kits
Meanwhile, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will be distributing 435,000 anti-dengue kits to public elementary and high schools nationwide in time for the rainy season to fight the deadly disease.
“The DOST will provide OL Trap kits to every public school classroom all over the country,” Science Secretary Mario Montejo said.
The Ovicidal-Larvicidal Traps (OL Trap) is a simple technology that kills the eggs and larvae of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries the dengue virus.
“We aim to contain and reduce the spread of the disease in places where mosquitoes congregate and breed during daytime, like classrooms,” Montejo said.
Each kit contains a black container that attracts mosquitoes to lay their eggs on the wood fiber board strip soaked with the OL pellet-water solution. The OL pellets, made of organic and non-toxic material, attract mosquitoes and kill their young, in effect reducing the number of the next generation of mosquitoes.
The DOST’s OL Trap program aims to reduce the mosquito population in schools and communities, and subsequently lower dengue incidents.
“In this program, DOST works very closely with the health, education, and local government departments,” Montejo said.
“Each agency has a very important role in the program to significantly reduce the number of dengue cases among our school children,” he said.
The program has identified 31 priority areas that will receive the first batch of OL Traps totaling some 435,000 kits nationwide.
The DOST has developed the initial batch of traps and has transferred the production of OL pellets to a private entrepreneur.
The DOST-National Capital Region office also began training teachers who will serve as OL Trap coordinators.
“The coordinators learn the procedures of using the OL Trap and preparing monitoring reports. They also learn more about dengue and other anti-dengue initiatives of the government,” Montejo said.
“The OL Trap is a very simple technology but is effective in helping decrease dengue cases among schoolchildren,” Education Undersecretary Jesus Lorenzo Mateo added.
The DOH’s report released last month found an increase in dengue cases in Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao and Bicol regions.
The DOH, however, noted that nationwide, there were 19,068 dengue cases, or 25.1 percent lower compared to 25,124 cases last year.
There were 107 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 0.56 percent, and most of them were reported in Region 6, 12, Caraga and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Last year, a total of 156 deaths were recorded nationwide. – Rainier Allan Ronda, Alexis Romero