Malacañang on Tuesday, Nov. 19, urged government agencies to do away with extravagant Christmas parties amid the lives lost to and damages brought by the successive typhoons that hit the country.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos conducts an aerial inspection in Cavite to further assess the damage brought by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine on Oct. 25, 2024. (Bongbong Marcos/Facebook)
In a statement, President Marcos, through Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, asked agencies to hold “scaled-down celebrations” instead.
“Alinsunod sa panawagan ng ating Pangulo, hinihikayat namin ang lahat ng ahenysa ng pamahalaan na iwasan ang mga marangyang pagdiriwang ngayong Pasko (In accordance to our President’s call, we are urging all government agencies to avoid lavish celebrations this Christmas),” he 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.
Noting that there won’t be a need for “an official guidance in writing,” Bersamin expressed confidence in the “kindness” of government worker, “whom we fully trust can unilaterally adopt austerity in their celebrations.”
“We urge them as well that whatever savings they realize from scaled-down celebrations be donated to our calamity-hit communities,” he stressed.
In part, the official assured that the government will make sure that the Christmas spirit will still be felt in the typhoon-hit communities through the timely delivery of relief goods and assistance.
He also promised the rebuilding of infrastructure and the restoration of livelihoods.
“Tuloy pa rin ang pagdiriwang ng Pasko, kasama ang ating mga kababayang nasalanta ng mga sunod-sunod na kalamidad (Christmas celebrations will push through, together with out fellowmen who were devastated by the successive calamities),” Bersamin said.
Six typhoons have hit the Philippines this November alone, with the last four devastating communities in a span of 10 days.
The latest, Super Typhoon Pepito, has already claimed at least eight lives and, together with “Nika” and “Ofel,” caused more than P500 million in infrastructure damages.
These came after Severe Tropical Storm "Kristine" battered the Philippines with P11 billion worth of infrastructure losses and with “Leon,” led to more than 150 deaths.