Two Year Educational Hiatus Continues As 'Ma-on' Hits Philippines

Photo courtesy: The New York Times

After a two-year break, children were just getting ready to go back to school when Philippines has been hit with another disaster. A terrible storm has devastated life, stopped transportation, curtailed movement and lead to close down of schools, again.

The archipelago is said to be hit by frequent storms in the year, but this one has been a little too much, owing to the devastating effects of Covid-19 induced lockdowns and mutation troubles.

The tropical storm has affected northern Philippines more severely this time. This has been termed as the Storm Ma-on. On instructions of President Ferdinand Marcos (Jr), classes were suspended for public schools and government work mostly in the densely populated capital region and also in the six outlying provinces as a precautionary measure.

It is worth noting that millions of children would again be left homebound after a chance to enjoy face-to-face classes.

The provincial capital Tuguegarao was drenched with 98 millimetres of "torrential rain" over a three-hour period after the tropical storm made landfall, an official at the state weather bureau told AFP.

The Ma-on storm is expected to sweep across the country in a north-westerly direction and head out over the South China Sea later in the week. The Philippines, ranked among the most vulnerable nations to the effects of climate change, is hit by an average of 20 storms every year.

Ma-on was the first significant one since April when tropical storm Megi sparked landslides and flooding that killed more than 200 people, mostly on the central island of Leyte.