Mayor John Rey Tiangco has declared Navotas City under a state of calamity following the damage wrought by tropical storm “Gener” which  inundated most areas in the coastal city, leaving all classes in all school levels suspended until today (Friday).
Though the typhoon was reported to have gradually left the country, rains had continued since yesterday, especially in the northern metropolis which compelled Tiangco, after assessing the situation with the weather bureau and education department officials, to stay the suspension of classes.
With that, the city government and other concerned local agencies and volunteers can be able to focus on other typhoon-related problems  as he cited that more affected families are still at evacuation centers where they are being provided with their needs, especially food and clothing, Tiangco told the Tribune in a text message.
After getting the nod from the Sangguniang Panlunsod, Tiangco immediately placed the city under the state of calamity, a situation in which the city government can set aside money out of its calamity funds to extend the much-needed support and assistance to the flood victims.
While there were some residents who had returned homes since late yesterday, most of the nearly 700 families have remained at several evacuation centers put up by the local government, city official said.
Tiangco said mostly affected were those living in barangays near the coastal areas where storm surge occurred which forced the local government to conduct rescue operations and had them transferred to safer and higher grounds before they could be carried away by strong waves.
The mayor, who personally led the rescue and evacuation of the affected families, was all praises for the city hall workers and volunteers who have sacrificed their lives “in times like this just to make sure that the hapless residents are secured and protected.”
Though the local government has prepared for such disaster, Tiangco said they had to act double-time to protect the residents, especially those living in low-lying or flood-prone areas after the pumping stations in Barangay Bangkulasi was damaged and the river walls and dikes in Barangays North Bay Boulevard South and Bagumbayan were shattered due to the strong waves spawned by the typhoon.
He said the flooding in the city has even worsened on Wednesday after the incessant rains that caused the Tullahan River to overflow, inundating more villages, including those in neighboring Malabon City whose local officials led by acting Mayor Lenlen Oreta had found themselves preoccupied with evacuating over 500 families, especially those living near the riverside.
Meanwhile, Oreta said classes will remain suspended in some of the public schools in the city as the roads and streets leading to the areas are still flooded and not even passable for light vehicles.
In Valenzuela City, information officer Ahna Mejia said Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian has ordered the suspension of classes in most public schools in the city until today as they are still submerged in floodwaters.
“The mayor has also declared under the state of calamity some barangays because they remain flooded and residents there are in need of help,” Mejia said.
Owing to the swift and timely actions from the local chief executives in the northern metropolis during this kind of disaster, the damage was said to be minimal and the lives of the residents have been secured and protected.
“That’s why we are grateful to our local officials, especially our mayors who personally attended to our needs in this time of calamity,” some of the affected families said in Filipino.