By Anthony Giron TAGAYTAY CITY, Cavite---More business establishments have reopened over the weekend to serve residents and tourists after clean-up actions were made in this ridge city a week after the eruption of Taal volcano in Batangas. People watch from Tagaytay, Cavite province, south of Manila, as Taal Volcano continues to spew ash (AP/Aaron Favila/MANILA BULLETIN) The local government announced on Sunday, January 19, that classes in all levels in the city will remain suspended for at least three more days for the cleaning of schools that were hit by ash fall. The City Tourism Office said that, on Saturday alone, at least 58 establishments, including hotels, malls and amusement and leisure centers, have already reopened. The number of establishments that has opened tripled in three days. Mayor Agnes Delgado-Tolentino on Thursday, not Friday as reported earlier, approved a resolution granting the request of the local tourism council to allow the operation of the establishments, particularly hotels and restaurants, for the visiting local and foreign tourists and the residents in the area. Authorities ordered the temporary closure of hotels, restaurants and the other establishments due to the heavy ash fall, and for safety and health reasons on the day after the volcano erupted.. Tolentino took cognizance of the resolution after the authorities said that Tagaytay is safe and can resume business operations, citing its high elevation. Dr. Renato U. Solidum Jr., DOST undersecretary and Phivolcs chief, clarified that Tagaytay is not a a high risk area, even if it's in the 14-kilometer danger zone radius due to its high elevation and will not be directly affected by volcanic hazards such as base surge and volcanic tsunami. Solidum even said that set weddings can go on in Tagaytay due its highland. Tourism and Cultural Development Officer Jelanne R. Mendoza said that at least 17 establishments, mostly restaurants, reopened on Friday, or Day Five after the volcano eruption. On Saturday, more establishments also resumed operations, including the Skyranch, Ayala and Robinsons Malls and Waltermart, Leslie's and 38 other local and foreign restaurants, a number of hotels, lodging houses or room-for rents and banks and other stores. Officials said that they expect more hotels, restaurants and stores, as well as recreational and wellness centers, to open in the next days and weeks. The local engineering department, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Team and other concerned authorities are doing their best with the clearing and cleaning operations on the west and east sides of the city particularly along the the so-called One Destination Strip on Aguinaldo Highway. The works are being done as electricity and water services have gradually restored in the city since the Taal eruption seven days ago. As of Sunday, electricity has been restored in 75 percent of the ridge areas. Clyde Yayong, chief of the Tagaytay public safety and DRRM office, reported that the authorities are doing everything to restore the water services which are scarce in the area. The business establishments have to act on their own by buying from private sources water amounting to tens of thousands of pesos just to fast track the clearing and cleaning operations in their areas. Local officials have called for understanding, resiliency, unity and actions with the prevailing crisis due to the Taal volcano eruption. The city will develop, return to its form and progress further with united hands and positive thoughts, they said. Tagaytay is the top tourist destination in Region IV-A or the Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) area. Aside from the clearing and cleaning operations being done in the city after the ash fall, the officials are also tending to the thousands of evacuees from Batangas who were accommodated since the volcano erupted on Sunday, Jan. 12. Classes suspended The city government has extended period of class suspension for another three days, starting Monday, January 20, for the cleaning of schools. The administration said that some schools, particularly those hard-hit by heavy ash fall, may open their classes next Monday, Jan. 27. The provincial government had suspended classes in Cavite's seven cities and 16 municipalities for five days since last Monday, January 13, after ashes, spewed by the volcano, hit the areas. Cavite is the nearest province to Batangas. Nineteen local government units of Cavite have accommodated more than 6,000 families-evacuees from Batangas. Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla said that he was leaving it to the discretion to the local executives in upland and lowland cities and municipalities to decide whether to suspend school classes or not a week after the volcano eruption.