At least three public schools in the province suspended their classes due to inclement weather brought by Typhoon Tisoy which is expected to make landfall in the northern region of the country as early as Monday night.

Desiderio Deligero, chief of Department of Education (DepEd) Bohol’s Schools and Governance Division, said that the Pandanon Elementary School and the Pandanon High School in Pandanon Island, Getafe and the Mayana Elementary School in Mayana, Jagna cancelled classes on Monday morning.

These were localized cancellations requested by the barangay captains of the said villages based on their assessment of their respective areas’ weather conditions.

“Localized na. Depende na na sa ilang kapitan or mayors,” said Deligero.

Pandanan is about an hour away by boat from mainland Getafe and some 20 kilometers away from Metro Cebu which was placed under Storm Signal Number 1 by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Mayana meanwhile is a known landslide-prone area.

Deligero also reminded the public that parents, based on their assessment of the weather, may keep their children from going to school for safety purposes.

“Ang ginikinan mismo na kung tan-aw niya iyang bata mura’g lisod g’yud kaayo motabok didto labina kung naay mga sapa-sapa ng ilaha, ang ginikanan pwede ra g’yud di mopa eskwela sa bata,” he said.

Under DepEd guidelines, classes in kindergarten are automatically suspended in areas under Storm Signal Number 1.

Bohol so far has not been placed under a storm signal by PAGASA.

PAGASA in its 11 a.m. weather bulletin said that the eye of the storm, based on all available data including those from the Virac Doppler Radar, was located at 235 km East Southeast of Virac, Catanduanes or 250 km East of Juban, Sorsogon as of 10 a.m.

Tisoy was packing maximum winds of up to 150 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 185 km/h while moving west at a slightly increased speed of 25 km/h, from just 20 km/h just a few hours earlier. (R. Tutas)