Monsoon To Have ‘Severe’ Impact In Parts Of Luzon

Heavy rainfall and flooding due to the southwest monsoon will have a “severe” impact in many parts of Luzon over the weekend, state meteorologists said on Thursday, Sept. 3.

According to the impact-based warning of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, prolonged and widespread disruption to day-to-day routine of households and businesses is anticipated in parts of Bataan, Pampanga and Zambales as well as areas of Bulacan, Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Rizal and Tarlac.

Meanwhile, a “significant” impact will be felt in Metro Manila along with parts of Batangas, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Rizal and Tarlac.

Under the “severe” level, prolonged and widespread disruption to day-to-day routine of households and businesses is expected.

Damage to houses and buildings may be widespread, with the majority likely to sustain extensive or complete damage, except for those that are structurally resilient.

PAGASA’s new Severe Winds Impact-based Forecast (IBF) assesses the threat of a tropical cyclone to a specific city or municipality, depending on their exposure and vulnerability. 

The potential damage is then categorized and color-coded based on four “levels of impact severity” – minimal (green), minor (yellow), significant (orange) to severe (red). 

PAGASA noted that they are still developing the IBF for flood, storm surge, and landslides.

Occasional rains will be felt in Ilocos Region, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan and Occidental Mindoro due to the southwest monsoon.

Cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms will be experienced in Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, the rest of Cordillera Administrative Region, the rest of Central Luzon, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal, Laguna and Oriental Mindoro.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms will be felt in Visayas and the rest of Luzon along with Mindanao.

Class cancellation protocol

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Sonny Angara will be submitting a proposed executive order to President Marcos covering the revised and modernized rules on class suspension and resumption of in-person classes and onsite work in educational institutions. 

In a statement, Angara said the proposed EO establishes three decision-making mechanisms comprising automatic class suspensions based on national technical thresholds, localized class suspensions determined by local chief executives and granular class suspensions and resumptions empowering school heads to make site-specific decisions subject to local government unit coordination.  

The proposed EO would be updating the framework of Executive Order No. 66, series of 2012, and introduce a more comprehensive, hazard-inclusive and decentralized framework for the suspension and resumption of in-person classes and onsite work that balances learner safety with the preservation of critical instructional time. 

During School Year 2023–2024, basic education institutions lost up to 53 of 180 school days due to weather disturbances and disaster-related class cancellations. From June 8 to Aug. 31 this year, some schools recorded 20 to 40 days of instructional loss.  

The Department of Education chief explained that while they do not want to place learners in harm’s way, they also value the continuity of their learning. 

“When a hazard strikes, the safety of our students, teachers, and school personnel is non-negotiable. However, every unnecessary day a classroom stays closed costs our learners their potential and compromises our long-term economic productivity,” Angara said.

Under the key provisions of the proposed measure, the hazard coverage expands beyond typhoons to encompass heavy rainfall, flooding, earthquakes, storm surges, poor air quality, volcanic smog, volcanic hazards and extreme heat reaching a 40-degree Celsius or higher heat index. 

The policy preserves school-level authority to suspend in-person classes based on documented site-specific assessments and the concurrence of their Schools Division Superintendent to accommodate hyper-local conditions. 

When a city- or municipal-wide suspension is in effect, individual public school heads can initiate class resumptions based on a documented site-specific assessment once hazards clear, provided they receive concurrence from the local chief executive. Private basic education schools may declare resumptions in prompt coordination with the local chief executive.  

PRC deployment

Meanwhile, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), through its emergency response unit, has rescued 133 individuals and assisted 68 others in Cavite during recent heavy rains and flooding.

“In Cavite, we did not wait. Red Cross immediately responded, conducted rescue operations and provided help to families in need,” PRC chairman and CEO Richard Gordon said in a statement. – With additional reports from Evelyn Macairan and Rhodina Villanueva