Students from 3 schools in Malabon call it a day

MANILA, Philippines – Students from three schools in Malabon stayed home because of water shortage yesterday.

Malabon public information officer Bong Padua, said the water shortage caused Malabon Central University, Saint James College and Jose Rizal High School to suspend classes.

“The school authorities decided to suspend classes since Wednesday because of water shortage that hit the city,” he said.

Padua said the three schools are expected to resume classes after the Maynilad Water Services Inc. restored water supply in most parts of the city.

At least 10 barangays were hardly affected when water shortage hit the city the other day, he added.

Ninety percent of water supply in the city has been restored as of last night, Padua said.

Malabon, one of the flood-prone areas in northern Metro Manila has its own local guidelines for the suspension of classes during typhoons and high tide, Padua say Malabon Mayor Canuto Oreta has ordered the suspension of classes in public and private elementary and high schools when the high tide level had reached 1.5 meters.

In the absence of typhoon signals, the Department of Education has given local chief executives the prerogative to suspend classes in their areas of jurisdiction, he added.

Padua said the guidelines also provides that without heavy rains but the tide level is 1.5 meters, classes will be suspended upon the announcement by concerned agencies. 

For private schools, the suspension shall be left at the discretion of school officials, he added.

Padua said in situations when suspension of classes has to be announced late in the morning due to uncontrollable circumstances, dismissal of students are left at the discretion of the school officials, who are in better position to assess their safety and security.

 “The localized guidelines on suspension of classes applies only to Malabon City because it’s among the flood prone areas during high tides,” he said.