The city government suspended classes in all levels of both private and public schools in Davao City on Tuesday, March 19, due to tropical depression ‘Chedeng.’
The Office of the City Mayor issued Proclamation No. 1 Series of 2019 signed by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and attested by city administrator lawyer Zuleika Lopez on Monday, March 18, citing the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Severe Weather Bulletin No. 3 for tropical depression Chedeng, declaring that while it has slightly slowed down, it has maintained its strength and may make landfall over the eastern coast of Davao Oriental on Tuesday morning.
The forecast revealed “scattered to at times widespread moderate to heavy rains will prevail over Caraga and Davao Regions, especially over Surigao del Sur, eastern portion of Agusan del Sur, Davao Oriental, and Compostela Valley, and Davao del Norte on Monday and in most parts of Mindanao the following day which increases likelihood for Davao City to experience weather disturbances as the affected areas are neighboring provinces.”
Mayor Sara’s order was made to ensure the welfare of students and school children who may be affected by the possible flooding of streets and landslides in the city’s mountainous areas due to heavy rains.
PAG-ASA weather update as of 5:00 am on Monday, said that Chedeng has a wind speed of 30-60 kilometers per hour which is expected to last in 36 hours.
Meantime, the Coast Guard Station of Davao has suspended vessels and watercrafts plying Sta. Ana Wharf to Kaputian and vice versa, Sta. Ana Wharf to Talicud and Vice Versa and Island Hopping (charter boat). The suspension is anchored on HPCG Memorandum Circular no. 02-2013 guidelines on the movement of vessels during heavy weather.
A Coast Guard Station personnel, however, told Edge Davao yesterday that apart from the transit vessels, those with small sea crafts are advised not to venture out over the seaboards of areas under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signals (TCWS).
Coast Guard personnel were also being deployed on each wharf to implement the order.
Also on Monday, the City of Mati in Davao Oriental suspended classes in all levels on March 18-19 through Executive Order No. 13 signed by Mati Mayor Carlo Rabat. In Davao Occidental, Governor Claude Bautista has ordered all local disaster and risk management officers to keep a 24-hour monitoring province-wide.
A preemptive evacuation was ordered by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in Davao City at 4:15 pm yesterday. Affected land slide prone areas: Matina Crossing (Purok Guadalupe, Quiniones Compound, Pluto St. Gsis, Shrine Hills Diversion Road, Milky Way St and Virgo St. GSIS Heights), Brgy. Mandug (DDF Village Mandug), Brgy. Buhangin (Purok Damayan), Brgy. Maa (Juario Village, Purok 9, Shrine Hills, Nacilla Village, Shrine Hills, Dinaville Subdivision, Iñigues Village), Brgy. 19 (Awhag subd.(Davao River Bank)), Brgy. Matina Pangi (Diversion Road, Old Dumpsite), Brgy. Tigatto (Purok 16) and Talomo (Bypass Road).
Chedeng, meantime, is seen to ease the effects of the long dry spell in some areas in the region. Chedeng is expected to bring rains to farmlands affected by El Niño which started two months ago.
