MANILA, Philippines — The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) established a digital hotline to ensure the early announcements on suspension of classes and government work, newly-appointed Press Secretary Cesar Chavez announced on Thursday.
Chavez said the digital hotline will be handled by the Office of the Executive Secretary, Office of Civil Defense, Presidential Management Staff, Pagasa, and the PCO.
Its primary task, said Chavez, is to ensure that such announcements will be made before 4 a.m.
“We will take the risk. Kapag nagsabi kami na before 4 o’clock may suspension ng klase, ng gobyerno kung sakaling may ganunman, we will take the risk kahit pag alas 9 o 11 ng umaga ay umaraw,” said Chavez in a chance interview with Palace reporters.
(We will take the risk. When we say that before 4 o’clock there will be a suspension of classes, we will take the risk even if it eventually gets sunny a by 9 or 11 in the morning.)
“But the template is bago mag-gabi kapag alam namin na may problema tayo sa weather system, at ang tingin natin sa Metro Manila and its environment, gabi pa lang mag-a-announce ang PCO,” he added.
(But the template is in the evening, when we know that we have a problem with the weather in Metro Manila and its environment, the PCO will already make the announcement in the evening.)
Chavez said that such announcements would include decisions on whether or not it will be up to local government units to suspend classes or government work, or if the Palace itself will implement a region-wide suspension.
Chavez, who was appointed as press secretary on Thursday, Sept. 5, made the pronouncement after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. previously ordered the announcement of suspension of government work and school classes be made “as early as possible” amid the effects of Severe Tropical Storm Enteng.