This is standard operating procedure, and damages should be reported immediately, she said.

If buildings are found to be unsafe, classes should not be held in them, she said.

Yesterday some teachers reported minor cracks in classrooms at the Talisay South Elementary School.

Three earthquakes hit Negros Occidental Wednesday, with the strongest at magnitude 5.8 at its epicenter off Cauayan town at 1:21:40 p.m., which was felt at Intensity 4 in Bacolod and Bago cities and Intensity 5 in other areas of the province.

Classes in some Bacolod schools were suspended but resumed yesterday.

Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head, Jose Marie Vargas, said that while some malls have personnel to lead customers out in case of earthquakes, there are other commercial establishments in the city that have yet to form their safety committees.

Safety committees are needed in case of earthquakes, fires and other emergencies to ensure the safety of customers, he said.

He said they conducted inspections of commercial establishments after the earthquake and, so far, have found no damages to infrastructure in Bacolod.

While the shaking was strong it was only for a short period, he noted.*CPG

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