No classes until Saturday in NCR, other Ondoy-hit areas - officials

Classes in all levels in Metro Manila and other areas devastated by tropical storm "Ondoy" will remain suspended until Saturday, education officials announced Tuesday. Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said that pre-school, elementary and high school classes in Metro Manila, the whole of Cavite province, Cainta town in Rizal and Sta. Rosa in Laguna will remain suspended until Friday. Lapus said more than 170 schools have been tapped as evacuation centers for more than 10,000 victims of Ondoy. The announcement was made in a press briefing at the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) office at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday. Commission on Higher Education Chair Emmanuel Angeles, for his part, said classes in the tertiary levels in metropolitan Manila, Calabarzon (Region IV-A) and Mimaropa (Region IV-B) regions, and parts of Central Luzon (Region III) will remain suspended until Saturday.

Angeles said universities and colleges would be used as center of clean up, aid relief and evacuation assistance. Education officials also encourage students to take part in relief and clean up operations. Defense Secretary and NDCC chairman Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is also contemplating on declaring a non-working holiday in Metro Manila for the massive clean up operations this week. The Palace has yet to announce its final decision on the matter. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV