MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered various government agencies to avoid lavish Christmas parties this year in solidarity with victims of recent tropical cyclones.
According to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the Chief Executive called on government agencies to keep their Christmas celebrations simple.
“Alinsunod sa panawagan ng ating Pangulo, hinihikayat namin ang lahat ng ahensya ng pamahalaan na iwasan ang mga marangyang pagdiriwang ngayong Pasko,” Bersamin said.
“This call is in solidarity with the millions of our countrymen who continue to grieve over lives, homes and livelihoods lost during the six typhoons that pummeled us in a span of less than a month,” he added.
The Executive Secretary further said there is no need for Malacañang to issue an official order “because we believe in the kindness of our fellow government workers, whom we fully trust can unilaterally adopt austerity in their celebrations.”
Aside from simple celebrations, Bersamin said government offices are also urged to donate whatever savings they realize from scaled-down holiday celebrations to calamity-hit communities.
“On the part of the government, we will make sure that the Christmas spirit will be felt early by all the affected areas in the form of relief goods and assistance, of infrastructure rebuilt, and of livelihoods restored,” Bersamin said.
Six cyclones, some of them reaching super typhoon category, entered the country in recent weeks, causing loss of lives and massive destruction in properties./PN
