MANILA - An official said Thursday that the Department of Education might extend the suspension of classes in Metro Manila as Typhoon Pepeng (international codename Parma) was expected to turn into a super typhoon and make landfall on Saturday.

Teresita Domalanta, DepEd-National Capital Region director, told reporters in a briefing that they will come up with the declaration on Saturday or Sunday.

“We are coordinating with the NDCC (National Disaster Coordinating Council) for [possible] pre-emptive suspension. It would be situational,” Domalanta said.

The DepEd has suspended elementary and highschool classes in private and public schools in Metro Manila until Friday due to tropical storm Ondoy.

Classes in the tertiary level have also been suspended until Saturday by the Commission on Higher Education.

Domalanta assured that DepEd is prepared to face the new storm, which was expected to strengthen into a super typhoon and hit the northern part of Luzon.

The education official said the DepEd is also ready to open more schools in Metro Manila in case more people are displaced by “Pepeng.”

Domalanta said 92 schools in the metro have been turned into evacuation centers.

She added that school principals have been alerted and advised to immediately open schools, which have been pre-identified by the NDCC, to evacuees.

If the “Pepeng” fails to directly affect Metro Manila, Domalanta said they have already prepared alternative school supplies for students that were displaced by the previous typhoon.

The NDCC’s data shows that a total of 226 schools in 6 regions are being used as evacuation centers.

There are also 214 elementary schools and 49 high schools with 490 classrooms damaged by Ondoy.