By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter

MALACAÑANG on Tuesday suspended all preparations for President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), scheduled for July 28, as the southwest monsoon devastates parts of the Philippines, including its capital region.

Mr. Marcos has ordered all government agencies to exert their utmost efforts in serving Filipinos, with Malacañang announcing class and government work suspensions in some areas.

“All SONA-related preparations are hereby ordered immediately suspended,” Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin said in a statement.

“The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), along with all concerned agencies, must put full attention and exclusive focus on flood response and relief operations,” he added.

This comes after personnel from the DPWH were photographed installing tarpaulins for Mr. Marcos, along Padre Burgos Avenue in Manila City, despite the heavy flooding in the area.

Mr. Bersamin noted that the President was “dismayed” by the action of the government staff.

Delivered every fourth Monday of July, the Philippine President’s SONA outlines the administration’s key achievements, policy priorities, and legislative agenda for the coming year.

It serves as a constitutional duty and a political moment that sets the tone for governance, reflects national challenges, and signals the government’s direction to Congress, stakeholders, and the Filipino public.

“The President’s directive is to focus all efforts on ensuring the safety and welfare of the Filipino people, especially during times of crisis,” he added. “All government agencies are expected to act accordingly.”

Speaking in a video statement from Washington, DC on Monday evening, Mr. Marcos assured the public that all frontline government agencies are mobilized to respond to the ongoing bad weather, with medical teams, relief supplies, and transportation already pre-positioned to assist residents in severely flooded areas needing evacuation.

Metro Manila and seven Luzon provinces were placed under an orange rainfall warning on Tuesday, signaling continued flood threats, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The agency said it is monitoring three low-pressure areas, two within the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) and one outside.

One of the LPAs inside PAR has a high chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours, PAGASA added.

NO CLASSES
This has prompted the Palace to announce the suspension of classes at all levels and government work on July 23, through Memorandum Circular No. 90, signed by Mr. Bersamin.

The areas included: Metro Manila, Pangasinan, Zambales, Tarlac, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, llocos Norte, llocos Sur, La Union, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Masbate, Sorsogon, Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Palawan, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Laguna and Negros Occidental.

Government agencies providing essential and emergency services must remain operational despite work suspensions, while non-essential employees may work under approved alternative arrangements.

Local chief executives may suspend classes or government work in their areas as needed, while private companies can decide on work suspension at their own discretion.

A labor group on Tuesday urged local employers to suspend work in areas under storm warnings or those affected by dangerous travel conditions.

“As we enter the second day of government work suspension due to extreme weather, it is vital that all employers in the private sector follow suit and prioritize the safety and welfare of their workers,” Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Jose Sonny G. Matula said.

The group also urged employers to provide extra incentives or hazard pay to essential personnel that are required to work during severe weather conditions.

The group cited Republic Act 11058, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Law, which allows workers the right to refuse unsafe work conditions.

It also noted that Labor Advisory No. 17 of 2022 allows employers and business establishment “not only due to imminent danger in the workplace, but also during weather disturbances.”

DISASTER RESPONSE
Mr. Marcos instructed the Department of Transportation (DoTr) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to mobilize evacuation efforts, distribute relief goods, and set up temporary shelters in coordination with local government units.

According to DSWD Secretary Rexlon T. Gatchalian, around 500 evacuation centers have been opened across the country, housing more than 13,000 families.

Mr. Gatchalian reported in the same virtual briefing that over 92,000 family food packs have been distributed so far, with production continuing to replenish stocks to meet local government requests.

Transportation Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon said free rides were provided on rail lines in Metro Manila to assist stranded commuters, while government buses and trucks continue to ferry residents in flooded areas.

He reported that hundreds of buses and trucks from the DoTr, Coast Guard, Armed Forces, Philippine National Police, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and the Office of the President have been deployed to ferry commuters safely across flooded areas in Metro Manila.

He also noted that San Miguel Corp. is addressing public concerns over floodwaters pouring from the Metro Manila Skyway.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health also prepositioned P31 million worth of emergency medicines, with additional supplies on standby.

Health Spokesman Albert Francis E. Domingo reminded Filipinos to immediately contact health practitioners after wading through flood waters for the risk of contracting leptospirosis.

He added drinking water must first be boiled for two minutes for consumption. — with Adrian H. Halili