WORK in government offices and classes in Metro Manila and 15 provinces were suspended on Friday due to relentless rain brought by the southwest monsoon, or habagat.
Malacañang issued the suspension on the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Office of Civil Defense Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said.
A low pressure area that had entered the Philippine area of responsibility has intensified the monsoon.
Aside from Metro Manila, the suspension covered Abra, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Cavite, Rizal, Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro.
In its afternoon bulletin on Friday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) placed the provinces of Pampanga, Bataan and Zambales, as well as the towns of Hagonoy, Calumpit, Pulilan, Paombong, Malolos, Plaridel and Guiguinto in Bulacan; and San Jose, Mayantoc, Camiling, San Clemente, Santa Ignacia, Capas and Bamban in Tarlac under Red rainfall warning alert, which means that serious flooding is expected in those areas.
Under an Orange alert were Metro Manila, the provinces of Rizal and the towns of Angat, Balagtas, Baliuag, Bocaue, Bulakan, Bustos, Meycauayan, San Jose del Monte, Dona Remedios Trinidad, Marilao, Norzagaray, Obando, Pandi, San Ildefonso, San Miguel, San Rafael and Santa Maria in Bulacan; Concepcion, Anao, Tarlac City, Gerona, La Paz, Paniqui, Pura, Ramos, San Manuel, Victoria and Moncada in Tarlac; Guimba, Quezon, Licab, Aliaga, Zaragoza, Jaen, San Antonio, Gapan, Cabiao, San Isidro, San Leonardo, General Tinio, Penaranda, Santa Rosa, Cabanatuan and Palayan in Nueva Ecija; Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta, Cavite City, Rosario, Tanza, Naic, Ternate and Maragondon in Cavite; and Nasugbu, Lian, Calatagan, Balayan and Tuy in Batangas.
The rest of Nueva Ecija, Cavite, Batangas and the towns of Calamba, Cabuyao, Santa Rosa, Biñan, San Pedro, Mabitac, Santa Maria, Famy, Siniloan, Pangil, Pakil and Paete in Laguna were under a Yellow alert.
