THE Department of Education (DepEd) has instructed its offices and schools to forgo extravagant Christmas parties this year, in response to the devastation caused by a series of typhoons that recently struck Luzon.
The move aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive for government agencies to show solidarity with calamity-affected Filipinos after six typhoons battered the country within a month.
In a memorandum issued Tuesday, Undersecretary Fatima Lipp Panontongan, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Secretary, emphasized the importance of scaling down celebrations. “All DepEd offices and schools are instructed to scale down their Christmas celebrations and may utilize the resulting savings as donations for calamity-hit communities,” the memorandum stated.
DepEd regional and division offices have been tasked with ensuring strict adherence to the President’s directive. Additionally, schools and offices are encouraged to conduct donation drives to further assist affected communities using funds saved from simpler holiday events.
The directive comes as part of the government’s broader efforts to support recovery initiatives in disaster-stricken areas, ensuring that resources are directed toward those in urgent need.