Baguio City and several towns in Benguet province suspended face-to-face classes on Wednesday as local officials braced for heavy rains brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon and a low-pressure area.
The suspensions, announced in the afternoon of Aug. 5, covered public and private schools in areas at risk of flooding, soil erosion and landslides amid persistent inclement weather.
In Baguio, in-person classes from preschool to Grade 12 were suspended in all public and private schools.
In Benguet, the municipalities of Tuba, Tublay, Kapangan and Kibungan suspended classes from preschool and day care to senior high school. The towns of La Trinidad, Sablan and Atok ordered the suspension of classes at all levels in both public and private schools.
La Trinidad, the capital town, cited reports of ongoing soil erosion and landslides along critical access routes near school properties in Executive Order No. 114.
Local governments said the measures were intended to protect students, teachers and school personnel from weather-related hazards.
School administrators were authorized to shift to alternative classes, including modular distance learning where it would be feasible, to minimize school period disruptions.
Disaster response offices across Benguet remained on alert and continued to monitor areas vulnerable to flooding and landslides, while residents were urged to exercise caution