TO give government workers a head start during the Holy Week exodus, Malacañang declared a half-day work suspension on April 5, 2023.
On Friday, Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin issued Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 16, which suspended work in government offices from 12 p.m. onwards next Wednesday. The Palace stressed MC 16 will only apply to government offices under the Executive branch of the government.
Bersamin said the move aims to allow public servants to “properly observe” the regular holidays on April 6 and 7, 2023 and to allow them to travel to and from different regions in the country.
MC 16, however, does not cover agencies, whose functions involve the delivery of basic health services, preparedness to disasters and calamities, and/or the performance of other vitals services.
Also excluded from the coverage of the issuance are employees of the private sector.
“The suspension of work in private companies and offices is left to the sound decision of their respective employers,” Bersamin said.
Filipinos usually mark the Holy Week, which is a long weekend, by traveling to their home provinces or abroad.
This usually leads to congestion in the major airports, seaports, bus stations as major roads and highways on the day prior to the said holidays.
This year’s Holy Week holiday stretch is particularly long because the Palace moved the observance of April 9 (Fall of Bataan), which falls on Easter Sunday, to April 10, which is now a holiday.