Classes in Davao suspended due to ‘Crising’

DAVAO (Updated) -- Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio ordered the suspension of classes from pre-school to high school Tuesday as Tropical Depression "Crising" dumped rains in several Mindanao provinces.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) placed 19 provinces along the storm's path under signal no. 1.

These include Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Samal Island, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, southern part of Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Sarangani, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay.

Spotted at 100 kilometers southeast of General Santos City as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, Crising is expected to be 60 km southwest of Zamboanga City, 270 km southwest of Puerto Princesa City, and 740 km southwest of Puerto Princesa City.

Duterte-Carpio ordered the suspension of classes based on the rainfall advisory issued by Pagasa at 8:53 p.m. Monday. The advisory said Davao City was expected to experience moderate to heavy rainfall due to the weather system.

The city mayor immediately placed all rescue units run by the Emergency Response Center Central 911 and the barangay rescue groups on heightened alert due to the possible swelling of Davao River and other tributaries in the city and landslide on the highland areas.

She said the suspension of classes for college and post-graduate levels and work in the private sector will be left to the discretion of school administrators and employers, respectively.

Genelito Atillo, spokesperson of the Department of Education (DepEd) in Davao Region, affirmed the suspension of classes in pre-school and high school in Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, all placed under tropical storm signal no. 1.

Pagasa Administrator Nathaniel Servando said Crising has been moving west northwest at 22 kilometers per hour with center winds of 45 kph. It made landfall in the southern tip of Davao del Sur.

"It's highly possible that Crising will leave the country by Thursday evening. We also don't expect any tropical storm formation until the end of February," he told Sun.Star.

The weather bureau advised residents living in low-lying and mountainous areas under public storm warning signals to be alert against possible flash floods and landslides.

Moderate to heavy rains (five to 15 millimeters per hour) will fall on areas along the path of Crising, the third tropical depression to hit the Philippines in 2013.

Meanwhile, bad weather caused the cancellation of flights and ship sailings going out of Cebu and Cagayan de Oro City.

In Manila, President Benigno Aquino III failed to catch a flight to Dumaguete City, where he was represented by Senator Franklin Drilon in the inauguration of a building owned by Mexican business process outsourcing company Qualfon.

Commander Jose Luspo, chief of the Sta. Ana Wharf Detachment of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), ordered the suspension of sea travel from Davao City to Kaputian, Island Garden City of Samal and Talikud Island.

He said travelling towards these destinations takes one-hour and will surely expose people to rough sea.

Luspo said the ferry service and the sea travel between Kilometer 11 Sasa, Davao City, and Villa Rica, Island Garden City of Samal, will continue in order not to totally isolate the access of residents to the main land.

He said that it only takes 15 minutes to travel in these sea lanes.

The operation center of the Office of Civil Defense-Davao Region also warned the local disaster risk reduction management councils (LDRRMC) to take precautionary measures and to observe red alert. (With Virgil Lopez/PNA/Sunnex)