President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered government offices to keep Christmas and year-end celebrations modest, as many communities across the country continue to recover from recent calamities.
“Kasunod ng mga sakuna sa bansa, paalala ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at ng DBM sa ahensya ng pamahalaan, gawing simple ang pagdiriwang ng holiday season,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a media briefing on Thursday.
Castro explained that the directive, issued in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), reflects the administration’s call for compassion and solidarity, especially for those affected by natural disasters in Visayas and Mindanao.
“Mahalaga ang pagdiriwang ng Pasko na may pag-aalala sa kapwa nating patuloy na nagsisimulang muli dulot ng maraming kalamidad na tumama sa bansa,” she added.
The reminder came after Typhoon Tino caused widespread damage in parts of the Visayas and Mindanao, and as the country braces for Super Typhoon Uwan, which may make landfall over the Isabela-Aurora area on November 10, according to PAGASA’s latest 11 a.m. bulletin.