Malacanang on Saturday suspended work in government offices and classes in public schools scheduled Monday in anticipation of a transport strike and protest actions during his second State of the Nation Address.
The sitting Philippine president is required under the Constitution to report on the state of the country during a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives on the last Monday of July each year.
The SONA, as it is widely referred to, is usually met with massive protests by critics of government, resulting in road closures and major traffic jams in areas near the House complex. This year, transport groups called for a 3-day strike to protest the government’s vehicle modernization program.
“The suspension of work for private companies and classes in private schools is left to the discretion of their respective heads,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a memorandum.
It isn’t immediately clear whether this will also mean closure of the Philippine stock and foreign exchange markets, which usually suspend their trading activities if the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is on holiday.
