#WalangPasok: Palace Declares Half-Day Work in Gov’t Offices on March 27, 2024
WALANG PASOK – Malacañang Palace declared half-day work in government offices on March 27, 2024 (Wednesday).
Holy Week, known as “Semana Santa” in Spanish, is a religious observance in the Christian calendar, particularly for Catholics and many Protestant denominations. It commemorates the final week of Jesus Christ’s life on Earth, leading up to his crucifixion on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Filipinos traditionally travel to their provinces for the observance of the Lenten season.
On Monday (March 25, 2024), Malacañang Palace announced a special arrangement for government employees in observance of the upcoming Lenten season.
Memorandum Circular No. 45, states the declaration of a half-day work schedule for government offices on March 27 (Wednesday). The announcement aims to provide state workers with ample time to properly observe Maundy Thursday (March 28) and Good Friday (March 29).
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin signed the circular declaring the suspension of government work from 12:00 o’clock in the afternoon onwards.
“To provide government employees the full opportunity to properly observe Maundy Thursday and Good Friday on 28-29 March 2024 and to allow them to travel to and from the different regions in the country, work in government offices on 27 March 2024 is hereby suspended from 12:00 o’clock in the afternoon onwards,” the circular reads.
The circular clarifies that government agencies involved in delivering basic and health services, responding to disasters and calamities, or providing other vital services will continue their operations as usual.
These agencies are expected to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of necessary services despite the holiday schedule.
RELATED ARTICLE: 2024 Holy Week Philippines — Here’s List of Schedules for the Lenten Season
However, it is up to individual employers of private companies and offices to decide when to suspend work. The circular takes immediate effect, allowing organizations to adjust their schedules accordingly.
The social media users expressed their reactions to the announcement:
