Evacuees in Toboso went home on Wednesday morning, while classes will resume in eight barangays of Escalante City on Thursday, February 29.
The evacuation and suspension of classes were triggered by another encounter between the 79th Infantry “Masaligan” Battalion and New People’s Army in Barangay Pinapugasan, Escalante City, Tuesday morning, but no new gunbattles were reported on Wednesday.
Escalante Mayor Melecio Yap ordered the suspension of elementary, junior and senior high school classes in barangays Libertad, Pinapugasan, Binaguiohan, Paitan, Dian.-ay, Magsaysay, Malasibog and Tamlang on Tuesday but they are set to resume on Thursday.
Councilor Richard Jaojoco said 16 families with 62 members who evacuated to the San Isidro Elementary School in Toboso Tuesday night went home on Wednesday morning.
Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office will provide Psychological First Aid to the remaining evacuees in Escalante City on Friday, PSWD head Chiqui Gonzales said.
Of the 250 families who evacuated in Toboso and Escalante, about 50 remain in an evacuation center in Escalante, she said.*