TACLOBAN CITY – Several areas in Eastern Visayas have issued class suspensions since Thursday, Feb.20, due to continuous heavy rains brought by the shear line.
Classes remained suspended in the cities of Ormoc and Tacloban, as well as in the municipalities of Abuyog and Jaro in Leyte until Friday, Feb.21 with Baybay City and Merida, both in Leyte also suspended classes, along with Catarman in Northern Samar and Silago in Southern Leyte.
Classes were likewise cancelled in Balangkayan, Giporlos, General Macarthur, San Policarpo, Sulat, Can-avid, and Guiuan.
Flooding was reported in the villages of Lapay and Pasil in Tanauan, Leyte while the town of Jipapad, Eastern Samar experienced another massive flooding due to the continuous rains triggered by shearline.
On Friday, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) in Southern Leyte reported a landslide along the provincial road between the villages of Pres. Quezon and Brgy. Bahay, Liloan, blocking all lanes and rendering the road impassable.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Eastern Visayas placed various provinces under yellow, orange, and red warning categories due to potential flooding and landslides.
Southern Leyte and parts of Leyte were placed under a red warning as of Friday morning, signaling severe flooding risks in low-lying areas and possible landslides in mountainous regions.
Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, and some portions of Leyte were under an orange warning, indicating significant threats of flooding and landslides.
The OCD and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have issued advisories urging local government units to closely monitor the situation and implement necessary precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, in Palapag, Northern Samar, the provincial government has started repairing damaged sections of the Palapag-Simora Road, a key trade and transportation route.
The road, part of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road (SPCR) Project, sustained heavy damage due to shearline-induced rains and overuse.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
