Citing an imminent threat from Super Typhoon Bavi, Canlaon City has moved to protect students and school personnel by halting classes across all educational levels for two days — July 7 and 8, 2026 — ahead of the powerful storm’s expected entry into Philippine waters.
Mayor Jose Chubasco B. Cardenas signed Executive Order No. 62, Series of 2026, on July 6, ordering the suspension of classes in all public and private schools within the city. The order covers elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels without exception.
Legal Basis for the Suspension
The text of Executive Order No. 62 states: “Classes in all levels, both public and private schools within the City of Canlaon are hereby suspended on July 7–8, 2026.” The order also grants the local government flexibility, specifying that the suspension “may be lifted, modified, or extended” as weather conditions evolve and as further guidance is issued by DOST-PAGASA and other relevant agencies.
According to the Canlaon City Government, the executive order was anchored on Tropical Cyclone Advisory No. 01, which DOST-PAGASA released at 11 a.m. on July 6. The full text of the order is publicly accessible at canlaoncity.gov.ph/Executive-Order-No.62.
Bavi’s Position and Intensity
Based on PAGASA’s July 6 bulletin, Super Typhoon Bavi was positioned approximately 2,215 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon at the time of the advisory. PAGASA reported the storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour, with gusts reaching up to 250 kilometers per hour, and was moving in a west-northwest direction toward the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
PAGASA said Bavi is expected to enter PAR sometime between the evening of July 7 and the early morning of July 8. Once it crosses into PAR, the storm will be assigned the local name Inday. The weather bureau projected that Bavi’s track would carry it toward Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, keeping the probability of a direct Philippine landfall relatively low.
Visayas Exposure Cannot Be Discounted
Even without a direct landfall threat, PAGASA cautioned that Bavi’s considerable size and powerful winds could still generate significant impacts over portions of the country. The weather bureau stated that tropical cyclone wind signals may be hoisted over the northern and eastern sections of Northern Luzon once the storm enters PAR, and that the enhanced southwest monsoon is expected to deliver heavy rainfall over western parts of the Philippines as the week progresses.
Critically, PAGASA noted that raising tropical cyclone wind signals over portions of the Visayas “is not ruled out.” The Canlaon City executive order directly acknowledged this exposure, noting that the city — as part of the Visayas region — faces the possibility of adverse weather conditions that could endanger students, teachers, and school personnel, making the preemptive suspension necessary.
LDRRMO Directed to Maintain Continuous Watch
Section 2 of Executive Order No. 62 assigns the City Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO) a central role in the city’s response. The Canlaon City Government directed the LDRRMO to maintain continuous monitoring of PAGASA advisories, coordinate with other concerned agencies, and recommend or implement protective measures for lives and property as the situation unfolds.
The executive order took effect immediately upon the mayor’s signature on July 6, 2026, signaling that local authorities were not waiting for the storm to draw closer before acting.
The Ninth Tropical Cyclone of 2026
According to PAGASA, once Bavi enters PAR and is renamed Inday, it will become the ninth tropical cyclone to affect the Philippines in 2026 and the second for the month of July alone. The storm’s approach reflects the high level of tropical cyclone activity that has marked the current typhoon season across the region.
The Canlaon City Government advised residents to closely follow official bulletins issued by DOST-PAGASA and the City LDRRMO for the latest developments, and to take all recommended precautionary safety measures as Bavi continues its westward track.
By the Numbers
- 205 kph — Maximum sustained winds of Super Typhoon Bavi as of the July 6 PAGASA advisory
- 250 kph — Peak wind gusts generated by the storm
- 2,215 km — Bavi’s distance east of southeastern Luzon as of July 6
- July 7–8 — Forecast window for the storm’s PAR entry, when it will be named Inday
- 9th — Bavi’s count as the Philippines’ ninth tropical cyclone of 2026
- Executive Order No. 62, Series of 2026 — The legal instrument suspending classes, signed on July 6
Why This Matters
Super Typhoon Bavi demonstrates that a storm does not need to make direct landfall to pose a serious threat — PAGASA has explicitly stated that wind signal raises over the Visayas remain a real possibility, putting cities like Canlaon and surrounding communities on alert. The preemptive signing of Executive Order No. 62 and the activation of the City LDRRMO for round-the-clock monitoring reflect a posture of early preparedness rather than reactive response. As the ninth tropical cyclone of 2026, Bavi’s approach also underscores the intensity and frequency of the ongoing typhoon season, reinforcing the need for sustained public vigilance across the country.
Source: Canlaon City Government / canlaoncity.gov.ph
