Politics · Philippines Bureau
Tacloban city workers seek suspension of flag ceremony due to heat
Government employees in Tacloban City have petitioned Mayor Alfred Romualdez to postpone the city's weekly flag-raising ceremony as extreme temperatures persist under El Niño conditions.
LSN Philippines ·
TACLOBAN CITY — The Government Association of Tacloban Employees (GATE) has formally requested the temporary suspension of the city government's weekly flag ceremony in response to dangerously high temperatures gripping the region.
In an endorsement dated October 5 and received by the City Mayor's Office on October 6, GATE cited the unusually intense heat conditions linked to the ongoing El Niño phenomenon as justification for the measure.
The request underscores growing concerns among public sector workers about occupational health and safety during the current weather crisis. Tacloban, located in Eastern Visayas, has been among the areas hardest hit by record temperatures associated with El Niño conditions affecting the Philippines and broader Southeast Asia.
The proposal to suspend the ceremony, traditionally held on a weekly basis, aims to protect municipal employees and other government workers from heat-related illness while outdoor public gatherings remain inadvisable. The City Mayor's Office has not yet announced a decision on the request as of reporting time.