Malacañang decided on Wednesday keep classes and government work in Metro Manila and 36 provinces across Luzon and the Visayas—regions that are home to around 70 million Filipinos, or more than half of the country’s population—in anticipation of heavy rain fall due to the Southwest Monsoon. The suspension will take effect on Thursday, July 24.
In Memorandum Circular No. 91, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on behalf of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the suspension was based on recommendations from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
“Agencies in the aforementioned areas which are responsible for basic, vital and health services, preparedness, and response duties must continue to remain operational to ensure continuity of essential government functions,” the memorandum states.
The order also grants local government units (LGUs) the authority to implement localized suspensions of classes or government work in other affected areas.
The other provinces covered by the memorandum circular are Abra, Albay, Antique, Apayao, Batangas, Bataan, Benguet, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Cavite, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Kalinga, La Union, Laguna, Marinduque, Masbate, Mountain Province, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon, Rizal, Romblon, Sorsogon, Tarlac, and Zambales.
Removed from the list are the provinces of Guimaras, Capiz and Aklan in the Visayas while the Northern Luzon provinces of Apayao, Cagayan and Kalinga were added.
Additionally, the memorandum clarified that the decision to suspend work in private companies and offices will be left to the discretion of their respective management teams.
This is the fourth day in a row that Malacanang suspended government work and classes due to inclement weather that has flooded many areas and displaced as many as 1.98 million people.
