BACOLOD City Mayor Greg Gasataya appealed to netizens to stop spreading fake news or anything that is not true to avoid creating panic and alarm to the general public.
The mayor's call comes after some netizens posted on social media on July 21 of the alleged suspension of classes.
Gasataya said the City has not issued any suspension of classes on July 21, 2025.
He said based on Heavy Rainfall Advisory 40 released by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), a suspension of classes is not warranted as outlined in existing Department of Education (DepEd) guidelines.
“Let’s avoid creating panic for our parents. Let’s not involve our students in the city,” he added.
The mayor noted that he already asked the City Legal Office (CLO) to coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the incident.
“This kind of thing should not be made into fake news especially, that we already experienced bad weather and several residents were affected by floods,” Gasataya said.
He said doing this is counter-productive, and will just cause unnecessary harm to the parents and students.
“Please stop spreading fake news and do not involve our students here,” he added.
Gasataya said Bacolodnons can follow the official social media account of the city, including his personal social media account to monitor any announcement from the city.
On July 17 and 18, Bacolod City suspended the in-person classes due to heavy rains triggered by the southwest monsoon or habagat enhanced by Tropical Cyclone Crising. (MAP)