Albay Provincial Capitol. Photo courtesy of PNA.
Classes in Albay’s public elementary and secondary schools are suspended from Sept. 14 to 18 as the province combines the Department of Education’s (DepEd) wellness break with a two-day dengue prevention drive.
Public school classes are suspended from Sept. 14 to 16 under the wellness break, while Sept. 17 and 18 are set aside for province-wide sanitation and mosquito-control activities.
Private elementary and secondary schools will also suspend classes on Sept. 17 and 18 as part of the dengue response.
Gov. Noel Rosal said the additional suspension would allow schools and local authorities to inspect and eliminate possible mosquito-breeding areas and carry out other preventive measures.
Students were advised to stay home during the suspension period, while parents were urged to watch for dengue symptoms and seek medical attention when needed.
The provincial government will hold a simultaneous “search and destroy” operation on Sept. 17 across all 720 barangays, including school grounds, with local governments and communities tasked with clearing potential breeding sites.
Each of Albay’s 15 municipalities will also receive a fogging machine to strengthen local mosquito-control efforts.
Provincial hospitals have been placed on red alert for a possible rise in dengue cases, while local disaster councils were instructed to closely monitor their areas and coordinate with health authorities.
Some private schools, including the University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi and Divine Word College of Legazpi, have shifted to online synchronous classes beginning Sept. 14 until further notice.