DAGUPAN CITY— Heavy rains brought by Tropical Depression “Luis” and the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) forced class suspensions, triggered landslides and rockfalls, and prompted authorities across Luzon to intensify disaster monitoring on Monday amid threats of flooding and more landslides.
Pangasinan suspended in-person classes in public and private schools throughout its six congressional districts, with local chief executives issuing executive orders following the prolonged downpour.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) placed Pangasinan under a yellow rainfall warning, indicating expected rainfall of 50 to 100 millimeters.
READ: Signal No. 1 up in 3 Luzon areas due to Tropical Depression Luis
Class suspensions were also ordered in several parts of the Cordillera Administrative Region. In Baguio City, classes from preschool to senior high school in both public and private schools were canceled, while Tabuk City in Kalinga suspended preschool classes. The municipality of Sablan in Benguet suspended classes from preschool to Grade 6 due to anticipated heavy rains.
Pagasa raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 over eastern and southern Apayao, eastern Kalinga, eastern Mountain Province and eastern Ifugao.
READ: Cebu at risk of flash floods amid persistent thunderstorms
In Central Luzon, all levels of classes were suspended in at least 11 municipalities in Pampanga, while neighboring Tarlac province also canceled classes due to persistent rains.
All 13 towns of Zambales likewise suspended classes at all levels, while Masinloc town halted both classes and government work, except for personnel involved in emergency response and essential services.
The storm’s effects also triggered geologic hazards in several areas.
Obstructions
In Aurora province, continuous rains loosened boulders and rocks that fell onto a road in Barangay Dianed, Dipaculao, partially obstructing traffic. Village officials advised motorists to avoid unnecessary travel and remain alert for possible landslides along mountain roads.
In Ilocos Sur, a landslide caused by heavy rains temporarily blocked a key road connecting upland communities.
According to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Salcedo in Ilocos Sur, debris and rocks covered a section of the Balidbid–Bulala-Leguey Road leading to Barangay Madarang in Sigay town and portions of Gregorio del Pilar municipality near Bago Resort.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Cagayan Valley intensified monitoring of 608 flood- and landslide-prone barangays across the region.
The agency identified 425 vulnerable villages in Isabela, 166 in Nueva Vizcaya and 17 in Quirino that could be affected by the heavy rains expected over the next three days.
Pagasa said Luis was moving slowly east of Aurora with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 70 kph. The weather bureau said the tropical depression may make landfall or pass close to Northern Luzon before turning northeastward and moving away from the Philippine landmass. —REPORTS FROM YOLANDA SOTELO, KIMBERLIE QUITASOL, MAUREEN MATAYEW, JOANNA ROSE AGLIBOT, KENNETH TABIN, VILLAMOR VISAYA JR. AND JUN A. MALIG INQ
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