Palarong Pambansa to push through despite bad weather

MANILA, Philippines — The opening of the Palarong Pambansa will push through today despite heavy rains, Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said yesterday.

However, the closing of the annual national sporting event on Aug. 5 may encounter a delay.

“The closing of the Palarong Pambansa may be delayed. But overall the games will continue,” Teodoro said, adding that there are playing venues in areas that are not flood-prone.

He declared classes suspended in public schools in Marikina today. Regular classes will continue for private schools.

Government offices in the city will also observe a non-working day to allow employees to attend the event, according to Teodoro.

Meanwhile, 298 families were taken to various evacuation centers in Marikina since yesterday as part of preemptive measures.

Teodoro said that since many Palarong Pambansa delegates are in the city, some evacuation centers were relocated to accommodate the event.

Evacuees from H. Bautista Elementary School were moved to the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina.

The water level in Marikina River reached 16.7 meters around 9 p.m. on Saturday due to heavy rain induced by the southwest monsoon or habagat in the surrounding mountain areas of Rizal.

The city experienced downstream effects from the upstream weather conditions, which caused the river’s water level to rise.