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​VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Website posts MISLEADING report on June #WalangPasok announcements

Don’t put your – or your kids’ – shoes up just yet.

Website philnews.ph published June 1 a misleading story claiming Malacañang has issued orders suspending class and work on eight days between June 6 and 21.

While the proclamations are true, the story fails to make clear in its headline “#WalangPasok: June 6, 9 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, 21, 2018 (#NoClasses: June 6, 9 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, 21, 2018),” or in its lead sentence that suspension on only two dates are applicable nationwide, while the rest only affect certain areas.

There indeed won’t be any classes or work countrywide on June 12 and 15 under Proclamations 269 and 514, declaring regular holidays the commemoration of Independence Day and Eid’l Fitr, respectively.

Apart from the 24 areas where classes have been suspended by local governments due to bad weather, it is only in Rizal province and the City of Sagay in Negros Occidental that class and work are suspended today (June 11), in commemoration of the former’s founding anniversary and the latter’s charter anniversary.

Prior to the designation of June 15 as Eid’l Fitr, Proclamation 494 made the date a special nonworking holiday only for Alegria town in Surigao del Norte in celebration of its founding; Proclamation 500 declaring it a special nonworking holiday as well in Angeles City, Pampanga in remembrance of the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.

June 16 is a holiday only for Molave in Zamboanga del Sur and Bogo City in Cebu in celebration of the former’s founding and the latter’s chartering.

June 18 is the founding anniversary as well of Ifugao province and Carmen in Davao del Norte, making it a special nonworking holiday in those areas.

Finally, it will only be in Rosario in Agusan del Sur where work and classes will be suspended on June 21 as the town celebrates the Yagi-Yagi Festival of Native Cultural Heritage.

Succeeding suspensions in relation to bad weather will depend on the forecasts of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) or the decision of local government units. PAGASA said on June 8 the rainy season has officially begun.

The misleading story could have reached more than 1.6 million people, its biggest traffic generators from social media being Viral Facts, Philippine Trending News – PhilNews and UniqueVideos.

Philnews.ph has been publishing stories since December 2010.


(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)

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