With 50 days left before Christmas, President Marcos has urged all government offices to keep their Christmas and year-end celebrations simple and meaningful, in light of the recent calamities that have affected many parts of the country.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said this as the nation continues to recover from a series of earthquakes and typhoons that struck Visayas and Mindanao, and the recent widespread flooding that claimed lives in Cebu due to Typhoon Tino.

In her press briefing, Castro said the directive was issued by President Marcos and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) as a show of solidarity with Filipinos still recovering from disasters.

“Kasunod ng mga sakuna sa bansa, paalala ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at ng DBM sa ahensya ng pamahalaan, gawing simple ang pagdiriwang ng holiday season (Following the recent disasters, President Marcos and the DBM remind government agencies to keep their holiday celebrations simple),” she said on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

According to Castro, the President wants civil servants to mark the holidays “with compassion and awareness for those still rebuilding their lives.”

“Mahalaga ang pagdiriwang ng Pasko na may pag-aalala sa kapwa nating patuloy na bumabangon at nagsisimulang muli mula sa maraming kalamidad na tumama sa bansa (It is important to celebrate Christmas with concern for our fellow Filipinos who continue to recover from the disasters that hit the country),” she said.

She added that the President appreciates the traditional celebrations but encourages agencies to redirect their focus toward helping affected communities.

Typhoon Tino left at least 26 persons dead, most of them in Central Visayas, and forced tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes across the Visayas and parts of Northern Mindanao, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

It added that, as of Nov. 4, at least 59,918 individuals or 17,124 families in 371 barangays across Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga.

A total of 32,286 individuals or 9,170 families were staying in 362 evacuation centers, while 10,641 individuals or 3,300 families sought refuge in safer areas outside designated facilities.