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FMB NewsFilipino Media Bulletin
Back to headlinesAugust 20, 2026, 1:00 AM PHT

Governance · Public safety

Palace Issues MC 131: In-Person Classes Suspended, Alternative Government Work Set in NCR and 17 Provinces

The approved FMB News overnight brief reports that Malacañang formalized Thursday's distance-learning and alternative-work arrangements across Metro Manila and 17 Luzon provinces.

By FMB News DeskPublished August 20, 2026, 1:00 AM PHT2 min read
FMB News editorial visual for the August 20 class and government work advisoryFMB News editorial visual
FMB News editorial visual accompanying the Memorandum Circular No. 131 update.FMB News editorial visualLicense details

Why this matters to Filipinos

FMB News connects the verified facts and evidence in this report to the decisions, costs, opportunities, and risks that may affect Filipinos, Philippine communities, and the country.

Editorial standard: Sources are listed below. Verified reporting, attributed claims, uncertainty, and analysis remain distinct.

Verified facts

What happened

Malacañang issued Memorandum Circular No. 131 for Thursday, August 20, directing the suspension of in-person classes and the use of alternative work arrangements in executive government offices across the National Capital Region and 17 Luzon provinces, according to the approved FMB News overnight package.

The covered provinces are Abra, Bataan, Batangas, Benguet, Bulacan, Cavite, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Laguna, La Union, Nueva Ecija, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Rizal, Tarlac and Zambales.

Context

Context · What the order means

Schools in the covered areas are directed to use alternative delivery modes, while executive government offices shift to alternative work arrangements. Emergency, disaster-response, health, law-enforcement, firefighting and other essential services remain operational on site.

Private employers are encouraged to use flexible arrangements based on local safety conditions.

Filipino relevance

Why this matters

The directive affects students, families, commuters and government workers across a large part of Luzon after successive days of monsoon-related disruption.

What to watch next

What to watch next

Further work and class advisories will depend on weather conditions and subsequent national or local government announcements.

Sources and public record

Office of the President / Presidential Communications Office: Memorandum Circular No. 131 and Palace advisory cited by the approved FMB News package (August 19, 2026, 7:30 PM PHT)INQUIRER.net: Palace order on alternative government work in NCR and 17 provinces (August 19, 2026, 6:15 PM PHT)