Heavy monsoon rains battered Metro Manila and nearby provinces on Tuesday August 2 prompting education authorities to suspend classes in elementary and high school levels even though there was no storm signal hoisted in any part of the country.
Malacañang through Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr also issued Memorandum Circular No. 17 based on the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Classes in the tertiary level as well as government work in the National Capital Region (NCR) were suspended effective 1 pm Tuesday afternoon.
Exempted from the suspension work are those agencies and government offices engaged in the delivery of basic and health services as well as preparedness/response to disasters and calamities.
Secretary Ramon Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office assured that concerned government agencies have been alerted to help people affected by the heavy rains.
Carandang also explained that the government can no longer rely on storm signals on whether classes or work should be halted. He added that they must evaluate the situation on a case by case basis.
