President Marcos to go on retreat this Holy Week

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos will go on a retreat this Holy Week as part of his observance of Lent.

Marcos revealed his Holy Week plans in a media interview after attending the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge milestone ceremony at the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific in Mariveles, Bataan yesterday.

“Mine is just simple: I’ll do what I do every year. I’m going to a retreat for a few days and then I’ll spend Easter with my family,” the President, who is a Catholic, said partly in Filipino, without giving details.

Meanwhile, Marcos said the government is ready for the surge of travelers next week.

“We have been preparing for a while but we just made additional preparations because of the sudden hot weather,” the Chief Executive said.

He said the government has to ensure that everyone is comfortable.

Malacañang also announced the suspension of work in all offices under the executive department from noon on April 5 to allow them to properly observe Lent.

“To provide government employees full opportunity to properly observe April 6 to 7, regular holidays, and to allow them to travel to and from the different regions in the country, work in government offices on April 5 is hereby suspended from 12 p.m. onwards,” according to Memorandum Circular 16, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin yesterday.

However, agencies involved in the delivery of basic and health services, preparedness/response to disasters and calamities and performance of other vital services shall continue with their operations, the order said.

“The suspension of work in private companies and offices is left to the sound discretion of their respective employers,” it said.

Millions of Catholics in the country will observe Palm Sunday on April 2, which marks the start of the Holy Week.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said security measures are in place to ensure the safety of the public during Holy Week and the rest of the summer season.

“We are expecting a large number of people to travel especially during the Holy Week, and we want to make sure that they will have a safe and enjoyable experience,” Azurin said in a statement.

The PNP has launched its annual “Ligtas Sumvac (Summer Vacation) 2023,” a security plan covering the onset of the summer season in April and the fiesta and Flores de Mayo season in May before the rainy season.

To jumpstart the campaign, the PNP has released a set of operational guidelines for police units and stations.

Azurin said that of the 77,891 police officers on the ground, 9,585 will secure Metro Manila.

A total of 38,387 will be deployed in assistance hubs and police assistance desks while 39,504 will secure major thoroughfares, commercial areas, transportation hubs and places of worship. —  Robertzon Ramirez