BUTUAN CITY (March 9) – Moderate to heavy rains triggered by the trough of a Low-Pressure Area (LPA) continued to drench large parts of the Caraga Region from Sunday afternoon through Monday, prompting class suspensions and heightened flood monitoring in several provinces.
In its 5 a.m. rainfall advisory Monday, the state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) placed the provinces of **Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte under a Yellow Rainfall Warning, indicating possible flooding in low-lying areas and landslides in mountainous communities.
To ensure the safety of students and school personnel, several local government units (LGUs) ordered the suspension of classes.
In Surigao del Sur, class suspensions were declared in **San Miguel, Surigao del Sur, Cortes, Surigao del Sur, Lianga, Surigao del Sur, Carrascal, Surigao del Sur, Bislig City, and Tandag City.
Meanwhile, **Placer, Surigao del Norte, Bacuag, Surigao del Norte, Tagana-an, Surigao del Norte, and San Francisco, Surigao del Norte also halted classes due to persistent rainfall.
In Agusan del Sur, class suspensions were implemented in **San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, Sibagat, Bayugan City, Talacogon, Santa Josefa, La Paz, Agusan del Sur, and San Luis, Agusan del Sur.
Classes were likewise suspended in San Jose, Dinagat Islands, where local authorities are monitoring potential flooding.
Apart from class suspensions, work in government offices was also halted in San Miguel, Surigao del Sur, while employees at the provincial capitol of Dinagat Islands were also advised to stay home due to the inclement weather.
The National Irrigation Administration regional office in Caraga (NIA-13) said it is closely monitoring water levels in irrigation systems across the region as rains persist.
As of 7:30 a.m., the Gibong River Irrigation System in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur recorded a water level of 50.30 meters, approaching its 50.50-meter critical level.
Another rise was observed at the Tago River Irrigation System in San Miguel, Surigao del Sur, where the water level reached 21.30 meters at 7:34 a.m., nearing the 23.00-meter critical mark.
“We advise the public, farmers, and stakeholders near the area to stay updated and remain alert, especially due to the continuous rainy weather caused by the trough of the LPA,” NIA-13 said.
Authorities urged residents in flood-prone and landslide-susceptible areas to remain vigilant and monitor updates from local disaster risk reduction offices as the weather disturbance continues to affect the region.
