Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro announced that face-to-face and asynchronous classes at all levels in both public and private schools in the city will remain suspended on Thursday, September 5, due to the ongoing rainfall caused by the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat), which is expected to continue until tomorrow.
According to Teodoro, the cancellation of classes was also ordered because of high water levels in the Marikina River, which may rise further and potentially lead to evacuations.
As of 6:47 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, Marikina City Rescue 161, the city's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) Command Center, raised the first alarm in the Marikina River after it reached 15 meters.
Once the water level reaches 16 meters, a second alarm will be issued, and residents in low-lying areas, especially those near the river, will be asked to voluntarily evacuate to their barangays' designated evacuation sites.
The third and final alarm will be issued if the water level reaches 18 meters, at which point forced evacuations in all affected areas will be enforced.
“Mahalaga ang kapakanan at kaligtasan ng ating mga mag-aaral kaya ipinapayo na isagawa ang kaukulang pag-iingat (The welfare and safety of our students are important, so we advise everyone to take the necessary precautions),” Teodoro said.