Classes suspended amid ‘Dante’ onslaught

Malacañang issued Memorandum Circular No. 91 on Wednesday, ordering the suspension of classes for 24 July across numerous areas in the Philippines due to the combined effects of typhoon “Crising” and the southwest monsoon, or habagat.

The suspension covers a broad swath of the country, including Zambales, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Benguet, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bataan, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Rizal, Metro Manila, Laguna, Quezon, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Palawan, Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate and Iloilo.

Government employees in these regions are not required to report physically to their offices and may conduct alternate work arrangements as determined by their respective agency heads, subject to applicable laws and regulations.

For the private sector, the adoption of alternate work arrangements is left to the discretion of company leaders. Local chief executives in other regions retain the authority to implement localized suspensions of work and classes.

Meantime, more than 20,000 public schools across 16 regions have suspended classes due to the ongoing weather disturbances, the Department of Education announced Wednesday.