Afternoon classes in two Metro cities suspended due to bus strike

All afternoon classes in private and public schools in Quezon City and in San Juan City have been suspended today by the Department of Education (DepEd) due to the strike staged by bus companies in Metro Manila on Monday. Classes are suspended at the pre-school, elementary, and high school levels. All teachers and students have been told to go home for fear of becoming stranded later in the afternoon, according to Alejandro Ybañez, Regional Communications Officer of DepEd-National Capital Region. In San Juan, students and teachers began going home at lunch time, said Rolando Cabubas of the San Juan Division Office. The DepEd also cited the reported difficulties of teachers and students in getting to school because of the strike as a factor in suspending classes, according to a report aired on Radio dzBB. Bus firms opposing the Metro Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) number-coding scheme pushed through with their ‘holiday’ earlier today, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded. Based on figures from the Philippine National Police, at least 8,500 passengers in Metro Manila were stranded due to the strike, dzBB reported. These included 5,000 in Quezon City; 2,000 in eastern Metro Manila; and 1,500 in Pasay, Parañaque and Muntinlupa Cities in southern Metro Manila. At least 70 "Libreng Sakay (free ride)" trucks, including 6-x-6 trucks deployed by the police and military, were deployed to help stranded passengers. In Quezon City, dzBB's Allan Gatus reported the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) added more trips to accommodate the affected commuters. – VVP, GMANews.TV