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Bella Cariaso - The Philippine Star
July 24, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Netizens and celebrities have slammed Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla for using an informal tone and language in announcing class suspensions on the official social media account of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Amid the continuing effects of the southwest monsoon on Tuesday, Remulla faced criticism for using “inappropriate” colloquial terms and casual language in his posts on class suspensions.
“Mga abangers, sarap ng bogchi ko. Sa kabusugan ay nakaidlip nang sandali. Oh, eto na inaabangan ninyo,” one of the posts in the DILG Facebook account read.
Some social media users criticized the post as insensitive to residents enduring the impacts of severe weather. Others stressed that topics like natural disasters should be treated with seriousness.
“There is a time and place for trying to be funny. This isn’t one of them,” actor Jake Ejercito commented. “Is this supposed to be funny?” actress Jessy Mendiola also replied.
Following the backlash, Vice President Sara Duterte urged Remulla to observe professionalism when making official announcements.
“If it came from the DILG official account…they have to be professional,” Duterte said in an interview in The Hague, Netherlands.
She emphasized that while individuals have freedom of expression, institutions are held to a different standard.
“The person has the freedom of expression, the institution does not have the freedom of expression,” Duterte added.
Duterte also drew a distinction between personal views and official duties, noting that her own voice as a public official is distinct from her role as a private individual.
“When it comes to the Vice President, me, the person, my voice is also different,” she said.
Sorry, but I won’t change – Remulla
Despite criticisms, Remulla stood by his communication style, saying it has long been his way of connecting with the public even before joining the Cabinet.
In a radio interview over dzMM, Remulla apologized to those who may have been offended but made clear he had no intention of changing.
“They understood me in Cavite. I hope they understand me, too. I have no intention to offend anybody,” he said in Filipino. “(But) if I have to apologize for hurting their sensibilities, then I do offer it. But I will not change who I am…That’s just the way people speak in Cavite. That’s just the way I speak.”
Further defending himself, he explained that the informal tone is to make official messages feel less heavy.
“I’m not belittling their hard work. What I’m doing is simply making reminders lighter so it’s not always negative vibes that people hear,” he said in an interview with GMA Integrated News’ “Unang Balita.”
“If my joke is inappropriate for you, just remember that I didn’t curse, belittle, or insult anyone. I also didn’t flatter or tell any lies. A little humor never hurt anyone,” he added in the DILG post.
Backing Remulla, President Marcos said what matters most is that the DILG chief’s messages reach their intended recipients.
“As long as he gets the message across, that’s what it’s for. That’s what all of these postings are for and get some information across,” Marcos told the reporters in Washington DC yesterday.
‘’People criticize me for the way I speak, criticize him for the way he speaks. But that’s just the way he speaks,’” he added.
Makeup classes
Meanwhile, in light of the recent weather disturbances that prompted widespread class suspensions, a teachers’ group said it is too early for the Department of Education (DepEd) to call for makeup classes.
Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) chairperson Vladimer Quetua said that while the concern of Education Secretary Sonny Angara on learning loss is valid, he emphasized that the academic calendar was specifically designed with buffer days to account for such disruptions.
“The school calendar includes contingency days precisely for emergencies like these. This is still unnecessary,” Quetua said.
Angara has said that the DepEd is considering the implementation of makeup classes to mitigate learning loss following the widespread suspension of classes due to flooding spawned by the southwest monsoon.
“What the government should do is to focus on recovery programs to address the damage on livelihood and the physical and mental health of the students and parents due to the calamity,” Quetua said.
He said class suspensions are necessary protective measures, but also pointed to the deeper roots of chronic flooding and disaster vulnerability that continue to disrupt learning.
“We need long-term solutions to the climate crisis, not just temporary academic adjustments whenever disaster strikes,” Quetua said.
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) also opposed DepEd’s plan to hold makeup classes, particularly on Saturdays, saying it contradicts the agency’s own advocacy for work-life balance and existing guidelines.
“DepEd itself has emphasized the importance of rest and family time during weekends by banning homework. It is therefore contradictory to require students and teachers to attend make-up classes on Saturdays,” TDC chairperson Benjo Basas said.
“These directives are not only impractical but also lack empathy. Many families across Luzon and parts of the Visayas are still reeling from the effects of Habagat and recent typhoons. Expecting them to prioritize academic modules or online classes in this situation is unrealistic,” he added. - Emmanuel Tupas, Alexis Romero
