#WalangPasok in Manila on January 9 for Black Nazarene

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada suspended classes and city government work for Tuesday, January 9, when devotees will mark the Feast of the Black Nazarene.

In Executive Order No. 1, signed on Wednesday, January 3, Estrada said the class suspension covers “all levels in all universities, colleges, and schools” in Manila.

The suspension for Manila city government work, meanwhile, covers “all departments, offices, and bureaus,” except “those involved in the maintenance of peace and order, traffic enforcement, disaster risk reduction and management, health and sanitation.”

Estrada said suspension of work in national government offices in Manila as well as private offices “is left to the discretion of their heads.”

In a separate advisory released Wednesday evening, the Supreme Court (SC) announced that Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has also suspended work in the SC, the Court of Appeals (CA), and the Trial Courts of the First and Second Level in Manila for the Feast of the Black Nazarene.

The SC said it expects “difficulty of travel to and from the courts” in the city.

Millions of devotees join the annual procession of the Black Nazarene, a 17th-century mulatto image of Jesus Christ, which Filipinos believe to be miraculous. (LOOK: Procession route for Nazareno 2018) – Rappler.com