The Negros Oriental provincial government on Monday, Jan. 5, called on netizens to stop spreading unverified information, especially on class suspensions, to avoid undue confusion.
This comes after alleged fake news spread on social media quoting Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria as having declared a province-wide suspension of classes due to extreme weather conditions and heavy rainfall that resulted in flooding and landslides in some northern towns.
“The provincial administrator, lawyer Arthur Fran Tolcidas, has urged the public to verify information first from official sources before believing and spreading it to others,” said Adrian Sedillo, who heads the provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
Some local government units (LGUs), like in Dauin, Bindoy, and Manjuyod, suspended classes amid weather forecasts that continue to show moderate to heavy rainfall at times are expected in parts of the province due to the shear line, Sedillo said.
The PDRRMO chief disclosed that an unknown person had even informed the governor that the province was already under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 5.
Sedillo said events like this can cause panic and unnecessary concern to individuals monitoring weather updates and local government announcements.
He reiterated that the province has a number of official Facebook accounts, including that of the office of the governor, and the PDRRMO where regular updates are posted.
Other sites that provide clear, valid, and official information include those of national government agencies like the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration. *PNA