Many elementary and secondary schools in Metro Manila suspended classes Wednesday afternoon due to monsoon rains dumped by tropical storm "Helen" Wednesday morning.
Teresita Domalanta, the Department of Education (DepEd) regional chief for Metro Manila, said classes in Manila, Malabon-Navotas, Caloocan City and several institutions in Quezon City have been suspended.
In Quezon City, Domalanta said classes in the following schools are suspended: Mines Elementary School, Baligasa Elementary School, Masambong Elementary School, and Diosdado Macapagal Elementary School.
Heavy downpour and flooding also prompted the city government of Malabon to suspend classes in all levels Wednesday.
"Mayor Tito Oreta ordered classes suspended because of the floods," spokesman Bong Pabong told radio dzMM.
He said the order was issued at 9:15 a.m. and is in effect for the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels for the public and private sectors.
In neighboring Navotas City, Mayor Tobias Tiangco said classes in the second shift in public and private schools were already cancelled.
The mayor said that normally, the local government is not supposed to cancel classes because of flooding.
"The problem is that on Sunday evening, one of the 19 main pumps broke down," he said, referring to the city's flood pumps.
He said he was expecting the pump to be fixed Tuesday night in time for high tide.
"If that was fixed, there would be no reason to cancel classes today," he said.
He said that engineers hope to repair the pump by nightfall.
He also said that flooding on Wednesday was worsened by a breach in the dike caused by raging floodwaters generated by typhoon Frank last month.
In Manila, City Administrator Jesus Mari Marzan said class suspensions were in effect for public and private schools.
He added that school officials are assessing whether to cancel morning shift classes.
The Las Piñas government also suspended classes in elementary and high school levels in both private ad public schools.
Signal No. 2 over North Luzon
Weather bureau PAGASA, meanwhile, said Helen (international codename, Kalmaegi) has maintained its strength and is moving in a northward direction.
As of 10 a.m., Helen was spotted 150 kilometers east northeast of Aparri, Cagayan.
The tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kph. It was moving north at 7 kph.
Public storm warning signal No. 2 has been hoisted over northern Cagayan, Calayan Group of Islands, Apayao, Batanes, Ilocos Norte. Signal No. 1, meanwhile, is in effect in the rest of Cagayan, Isabela, Abra, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora and Ilocos Sur.
PAGASA said Helen will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains over the rest of Luzon and the Visayas, particularly over the western section.
The weather bureau advised residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes to take all the necessary precautions against possible flashfloods and landslides.
Residents along the coastal areas under public storm signal No. 2 are also alerted against big waves generated by this tropical cyclone, it said.
By Thursday morning, the tropical storm is expected to be 90 km east northeast of Basco, Batanes. By Friday morning, it is projected to be 340 km north northeast of Basco, Batanes or 130 km east of eastern Taiwan. By Saturday morning, Helen is forecast to be 400 km northeast of Taipei, Taiwan. With reports from dzMM