Classes in parts of Luzon and several Metro Manila schools were suspended on Thursday because of Tropical Depression Mirasol and a nationwide transport strike.
In Cagayan, Isabela, Albay, and Nueva Ecija, local governments called off in-person classes at all levels, while several towns in Pangasinan also suspended classes, based on separate announcements by their local governments.
The state weather bureau said in its 5 a.m. advisory that Mirasol was spotted 165 kilometers west of Calayan, Cagayan, packing winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 70 kph.
Tropical Wind Signal No. 1 was hoisted over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, the western portion of mainland Cagayan, Apayao, the northern portion of Abra, Ilocos Norte, and the northern portion of Ilocos Sur.
It said the cyclone was “less likely” to bring heavy rainfall over Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. But scattered rains and thunderstorms were still expected over the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Zambales and Bataan in the next 24 hours.
In Metro Manila, schools cited the transport strike as the reason for shifting to online classes. These included De La Salle Araneta University, Far Eastern University’s selected colleges, the National Teachers College and the University of Santo Tomas.
The University of the East and some schools in Manila and Caloocan likewise announced online classes for basic education. — Edg Adrian A. Eva