BY IVY TEJANO
The city government announced on Thursday afternoon, Jan. 9, that face-to-face classes on levels in Davao City are suspended on Jan. 13 due to the National Rally for Peace by the Iglesia ni Cristo.
The city government issued Proclamation No. 1, Series of 2025, suspending classes and mandating a skeletal workforce in all national and local offices, including government-owned and -controlled corporations.
The suspension aims to maintain public order, safety, and convenience for the people of Davao City as 10 significant streets in the Central Business District will be temporarily closed during the rally at Rizal Park.
The Davao City Council passed Resolution No. 04022-25 on Jan. 7 requesting city Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte to issue a skeletal workforce arrangement for city government employees to help ease traffic.
Minister Eraño “Bong” Estudillo, regional legal officer of the INC, confirmed during the 20th City Council regular session on Tuesday that around 500,000 INC members from Regions 11, 12, and Bukidnon will attend the rally.
However, the city government requested INC to reduce the number to 300,000 to enable the city to accommodate participants.
“Due to the large number of participants in the upcoming rally, it is essential to ensure residents' and visitors' safety and well-being. It is also duty-bound to safeguard the public and undertake measures to avert any untoward incidents or disasters during the event,” the city government said.
Public Safety and Security Office head Angel Sumagaysay said class and work suspension will help manage traffic and ensure the convenience of the people, especially those working or studying within the event areas.
"The INC said that the event will push through, whether rain or shine. We expect over 300,000 participants on Monday to enter the city and converge within the downtown area, resulting in traffic and congestion,” Sumagaysay said.
Sumagaysay added that class and work suspension would also avoid inconvenience among students and employees and allow the assigned security for the rally to focus on the safety of the people directly participating.
The city government encouraged private offices and establishments in the areas affected by the peace rally to suspend their work or adopt a work-from-home arrangement for the convenience of their employees.
