By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Around 24 local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental suspended classes at all levels due to continuous downpours yesterday morning.

The LGUs which declared suspension of classes were the cities of Bacolod, Silay, La Carlota, Cadiz, Sagay, San Carlos, Victorias, Himamaylan, Talisay, Bago, and Escalante; and the towns of E.B. Magalona, Pontevedra, Manapla, Valladolid, Don Salvador Benedicto, Pulupandan, Hinigaran, Cauayan, Ilog, Calatrava, La Castellana, and Candoni.

Due to the incessant rains, provincial administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz has also ordered a suspension of work at the Capitol by 4:00 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD) was placed on blue alert status by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson as he directed PDMPD head Dr. Zeaphard Caelian for the pre-emptive evacuation of residents located in flood- and landslide-prone areas if necessary.

All city and municipal disaster risk reduction and management offices in the province have also been told to continue their monitoring, and submit their respective preparedness measures and updates to the Negros Occidental Command Center.

According to Caelian, the situation in the province’s mountainous areas is currently dangerous as continuous rains these past few days have already saturated the soil.

Based on the weather advisory issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), as of 11:00 a.m. yesterday, a low pressure area (LPA) was spotted 575 kilometers east of Surigao City.

The LPA, along with the shear line, will continue to bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over the Visayas and Mindanao over the next few days.

In its advisory, PAGASA said the LPA is less likely to develop into a tropical depression./DGB, WDJ