Classes, gov’t work suspended on Nov. 8 in Tacloban City to mark 6 years after Yolanda

Classes in public and private schools as well as government work have been suspended in Tacloban City on Friday, November 8, to mark the sixth anniversary of super typhoon Yolanda which killed thousands and destroyed many communities in Eastern Visayas in 2013.

In an executive order signed on October 30, 2019, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said that the influx of various local and international organizations were expected as they pay homage to the disaster victims.

Anniversary activities may cause "overcrowding, traffic congestion, and inconvenience to the public." Hence, the suspension of classes and work were ordered.

Offices in-charge of maintenance of peace and order, emergencies, health, traffic flow, and disaster management will continue their operations, according to Romualdez.

A Holy Mass will be held at the Mass Grave Memorial in Holy Cross Cemetery at 7:00 a.m. on Friday.

The memorial program will be conducted in Tacloban City Convention Center at 3:00 p.m. and a candle-lighting activity will follow at 6:00 p.m. after the ringing of church bells in the city, according to the local government's information office.

More than 6,000 people died and over 28,000 others were injured in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

The House of Representatives recently approved on third and final reading the measure declaring November 8—the day Yolanda struck—a special non-working holiday in Eastern Visayas. —Dona Magsino/NB, GMA News