LEGAZPI CITY, March 22 -- Face-to-face classes have been suspended in elementary and secondary schools in four towns of Masbate province due to ongoing clashes between government forces and New People's Army (NPA) rebels.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Department of Education in Bicol (DepEd-5) Regional Director Gilbert Sadsad said schools in the affected areas will be closed for in-person classes until the situation normalizes.

"I got the information from the school superintendent, about the series of incidents.. hindi lang doon, halos sa ibang barangay nagkakaroon ng encounter..(not just there, but also in other barangays where encounters are monitored). So I instructed the superintendent to suspend the classes and give the self-...