THE hashtag #walangpasok topped yesterday’s trending list in social media.
Local officials again turned to traditional and new media as an emergency communication network to reach out to the public.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who was up at dawn to assess the flooding, declared classes suspended in all public elementary and high schools.
He announced it at around 5 a.m. on radio station dyAB, a message echoed in other news outlets, and shared many times over on Twitter and Facebook, including the Inquirer Group’s six Twitter accounts.
A few minutes later, Mandaue City spokesman Roger Paller went on air with the same announcement as parts of Mandaue were already in knee-deep water.
Talisay City followed with Talisay City Mayor Johnny delos Reyes and his PIO Vince Monterde.
The Talisay mayor repeated his appeal for residents of the landslide-prone barangay Manipis and those living near Mananga River to move out.
At around 6 a.m., Capitol public information officer Ethel Natera went on air to announce Cebu Gov. Hilario “Junjun” Davide’s order to suspend classes in the province. Her announcement was tweeted by @cebugov.ph.
A few minutes later, it was Lapu Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza’s turn to make her announcement.
Private school officials took turns declaring the suspension of their classes over the radio.
DyaB broadcaster Leo Lastimosa called on the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcaster ng Pilipinas to come up with a centralized communications scheme to be used during disasters so officials can make announcements like suspension of classes and evacuations faster.