DepEd: Classes suspended in Bicol, Lipa City

Classes from kindergarten to high school were suspended in the Bicol Region and in Lipa City in Batangas due to heavy rains and strong winds, the Department of Education said Tuesday. DepEd Undersecretary Tonisito Umali also said kindergarten classes in parts of Ilocos and Central Luzon under Storm Signal No. 1 were automatically suspended as well. "Sa Region 5, kinder, elementary and high school sa private and public (schools), pati offices suspended na (In Bicol, kinder, elementary and high school classes in private and public schools and even some offices had been suspended)," Umali said in an interview on dzBB radio, citing initial reports reaching the DepEd central office. But the suspension of classes in Camarines Norte is only at the kindergarten level. The DepEd's Twitter account said classes were suspended in all levels up to high school "due (to) heavy rains and strong winds. Umali also said classes were suspended in parts of Regions 1 and 3 (Ilocos and Central Luzon) under Storm Signal No. 1. The DepEd has an automatic suspension guideline where Storm Signal No. 1 means no classes in kindergarten, while Signal No. 2 means no classes in kindergarten, elementary and high school. In Southern Luzon, the DepEd said there were no classes in kindergarten, elementary and high school in public and private schools "due to heavy rain and strong wind." "(Sa) Lipa city, no storm signal but very strong rains and wind kaya nagdeklara na walang pasok (In Lipa City, there was no storm signal but there were very strong rains and winds, so classes there were suspended)," Umali said. — RSJ, GMA News