MANILA – (UPDATED TO ADD COURTS SUSPENSION) To avoid stranding thousands of workers and students as a nationwide transport strike gets under way on Monday (Oct. 16), Malacañang Palace declared the suspension of classes in all levels in public and private schools, and of government offices.
Memorandum Circular 28 issued by the Office of the Executive Secretary said suspension of work in private offices will be upon the discretion of the respective managements of offices.
Suspensions in other branches of government, as well as constitutional commissions and other independent bodies, will be left to the discretion of the respective agency heads.
Relatedly, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno ordered the suspension of work in all courts nationwide, also due to the scheduled transport strike.
The transport sector, led by the group PISTON, earlier declared a two-day national strike starting Monday to protest the government’s ambitious Public Utility Vehicles (PUV) modernization project, which they said would bankrupt thousands of small operators and imperil the livelihood of thousands of jeepney drivers.
Certain local government units (Makati, San Mateo and Davao City) and at least one school – the National Teachers College in Manila – had declared a suspension of classes for Monday, but the Palace order now covers everyone.
