Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson ordered the preemptive evacuation of persons living in high-risk areas on Thursday, December 4, as Tropical Depression “Wilma” approached, while Mayor Greg Gasataya cancelled all classes in Bacolod City on Friday in anticipation of heavy rainfall.
Victorias City, Sagay City, Cadiz City, Silay City, Hinigaran, Hinoba-an, San Carlos City, Calatrava, Pulupandan, La Castellana and Himamaylan City have also suspended classes on Friday.
The Negros Occidental and Bacolod Emergency Operations Centers have been placed under Red Alert status to ensure heightened monitoring, rapid response, and coordinated action among all concerned agencies.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) placed Sagay City, Escalante City, Toboso and Calatrava under Signal No. 1 at 11 p.m. Thursday.
The center of Tropical Depression Wilma was estimated at 480 km East of Catarman, Northern Samar or 390 km East of Borongan City, Eastern Samar at 11 p.m., Pagasa said.
Pagasa forecast Wilma to bring heavy rains across Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Siquijor, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Agusan del Norte, Misamis Oriental, and Camiguin until Friday afternoon.
President Ferdinand Marcos’ arrival to launch the Oplan Kontra Baha in Bacolod City on Friday, Dec. 5 has been cancelled.
Meanwhile, Gasataya said he was suspending classes in Bacolod upon the recommendation of the Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (BDRRMC) due to the Yellow Heavy Rainfall Warning issued by PAGASA for Bacolod City on Friday.
Schools are encouraged to shift to modular distance learning performance tasks and projects to ensure that learning competencies are met, he said.
Lacson ordered the immediate implementation of pre-emptive evacuation of residents in flood-prone and landslide-prone areas in Negros Occidental, as a precautionary measure.
Forced evacuation will be implemented if voluntary compliance is refused despite imminent danger, he said. *