SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique - Families residing in high-risk areas, including those along coasts and rivers in Antique province, are encouraged to pre-emptively evacuate in anticipation of the intense to torrential rains brought by Typhoon Leon (international name Kong-rey) on Tuesday. Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Broderick Train said in an interview that they are closely monitoring the Sibalom River, the fourth largest river in Panay, and have no reports of water overflow as of press time. 'In anticipation of the intense to torrential rains brought by STS Leon, we are advising the pre-emptive evacuation of families,' he said. He added that they are waiting for a report on three families that preemptively evacuated in Barangay Durog in San Jose de Buenavista in compliance with Regional DRRM Council Memorandum 106 to conduct the preemptive evacuation for communities in high-risk areas. 'Barangay Durog is an island in the middle of the Sibalom River. That is wh y the families have already preemptively evacuated for their safety,' Train said. Train added that roads from Antique to Iloilo and from Anini-y, the southernmost town of Antique, to Libertad in the north are still passable to commuters. A total of 17 local government units (LGUs) suspended in-person classes as of Tuesday noon, based on data from the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Antique. 'Almost all the LGUs in Antique except Bugasong have already suspended in-person classes,' School Governance and Operations chief Evelyn Remo said. Schools that shifted to the alternative delivery mode of learning from pre-school to senior high school are in San Jose de Buenavista, Sibalom, Pandan, Culasi, Libertad, Valderrama, Anini-y, Hamtic, Tobias Fornier, Caluya, and Tibiao. The towns of Belison, San Remigio, Laua-an, Patnongon, Sebaste, and Barbaza have suspended classes at all levels. Source: Philippines News Agency