Elementary and high school classes will resume on Monday except for those schools converted into evacuation centers and areas in Rizal still reeling from the damage brought by storm Ondoy.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus however said the resumption of classes in public and private schools will still depend on the extent of the devastation in provinces that will be brought by storm Pepeng.

In case the storm Pepeng pounds hard provinces in Northern Luzon with heavy rains and floods, Lapus said the education department may have to suspend anew classes “on a regional basis.”

Lapus made the report to President Arroyo during a meeting of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) at the municipal hall of Cainta, Rizal. Classes at all levels have been suspended in National Capital Region and nearby provinces since Monday following the large destruction spawned by Ondoy.

“Subject to Pepeng’s effects, we are going to declare already that except for those being used for evacuation centers and special municipalities such as Cainta, Taytay, we would resume (classes) on Monday,” Lapus said.

Lapus said local government units will be empowered to declare the resumption or suspension of classes depending on the damage in their communities.

Before tapping school buildings, Lapus also suggested to local government units to tap idle stadiums and other public arenas as evacuation centers.

He said many schools have been used as evacuation centers, depriving the students from resuming their education.

“All local government units should have prioritization of where the first evacuation centers should be. We should exhaust public before the schools,” he said.

House Speaker Prospero C. Nograles has appealed to some quarters not to politicize the ongoing relief operations for victims of storm “Ondoy,” saying unity and cooperation among Filipinos is what the country needs at this time.

Nograles said it was appalling to know that there are people who still find time spreading political intrigues and even malicious rumors on the relief efforts by both the government and the private sector at a time when the nation is expected to be united in providing aid and comfort to the typhoon victims.

“This is very unfortunate. Many of our countrymen are still in deep anguish because of storm Ondoy and yet some people and groups can still afford to waste their time peddling intrigues and malicious rumors on the ongoing effort to provide aid to Ondoy’s victims,” Nograles said.

“I’m appealing for a pause for such dirty propaganda and allow those who are working hard to help the victims to do their jobs, whatever their motives maybe,” he added.

Senator Richard J. Gordon, chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), cheered on the Filipinos, especially the victims of storm Ondoy to fight on as the nation rises from the devastation caused by the recent typhoon.

“Fight on Philippines!’’ said Gordon, as he led Red Cross volunteers in simultaneous disaster relief operations and clean up campaign in different areas that were affected by the recent storm.

“Now that storm Ondoy has passed, our people need to focus on rebuilding their lives. This rehabilitation process will take time, effort, commitment and willpower. Sanitation and cleanliness is a crucial and vital first step towards recovery from a disaster. I urge everyone to pull resources and put all hands on the deck and share in lifting the load,” he stressed.

“We did it in Central Luzon during Mt. Pinatubo eruption and the subsequent US Bases pullout. Together we can do it again,” he added.

The three major telecommunication companies were urged on Friday to provide weather forecast updates on a regular basis as part of the corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Senator Francis Escudero said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) should also study the possibility of coming up with a regulation requiring Smart Communications, Globe Telecoms, and Sun Cellular network to make it part of their CSR.

Escudero said telcos could play a bigger role in saving lives and property by using their access to the latest technology and resources to regularly inform the public of the latest weather forecasts in the country.

“The NTC could come up with a law directing telcos to send updated weather bulletins and climate conditions to all their subscribers as a public service,” Escudero said in a statement.