DUMAGUETE CITY, (PNA)– Governor Roel Degamo on Wednesday ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) in Negros Oriental, headed by Dr. Salustiano Jimenez, to cut short the ongoing provincial athletic meet amidst the looming “super typhoon” expected to enter the Philippines Area of Responsibility by Friday.
The Negros Oriental Athletic Association (NORAA) meet reeled off Monday at three different playing venues, namely Dumaguete City and nearby Sibulan and Valencia towns, and was originally scheduled to end Friday.
But with the “super typhoon”, to be named as “Yolanda” once it entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility, and with international codename “Haiyan”, already making its way to the Philippines, Gov. Degamo said it is deemed necessary that all athletic delegations coming from the towns and cities of Negros Oriental must be able to return home safe at the earliest time possible.
The NORAA meet is participated in by at least 21 delegations with an estimated total of 2,500 individuals to include elementary and high school athletes, coaches and officials, said Adrian Sedillo, executive officer of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).
Delegations from as far as Basay in the south and Canlaon City in the north must be given enough leeway to travel back to their hometowns, Degamo said.
Gov. Degamo convened the PDRRMC for an emergency meeting Wednesday morning until noon time to review and reiterate standing orders for the pre-positioning of resources, manpower and other logistics to cushion the impact of the expected “super typhoon”.
The governor said all games and other events of the athletic meet must be completed by Thursday and ordered the DepEd to do away with the closing ceremonies.
The state-run weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in its latest weather update said the entire Visayas region will be hit by the brewing storm, believed to be the strongest to visit the Philippines this year.
Meanwhile, the suspension of classes at different levels in Negros Oriental will depend on the PAGASA announcement of public storm warning signals over certain areas, Sedillo said.
However, if storm signal no. 3 will be hoisted over Negros Oriental, classes will be automatically suspended as well as work in government offices, Sedillo added.