FACT CHECK: No notice of class suspensions from March 9 to 13 due to oil price hike

Claim: Classes are suspended from March 9 to 13 due to a looming hike in oil prices.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The post was made by a Facebook page named “Pamilya News Channel,” which has a follower count of more than 170,000.

Its post has garnered more than 656 reactions, 312 shares, and 27,000 views as of writing.

In the video, a reporter is shown saying, “Babala, walang pasok mula March 9 to 13 bilang paghahanda sa posibleng pagtaas ng presyo ng langis dulot ng tensyon sa ibang bansa. Layunin nitong makatipid sa energy at gasolina.”

(Warning, there are no classes from March 9 to 13 in preparation for a possible increase in oil prices due to tensions abroad. This is to save energy and fuel.)

The video encourages viewers to share the content for public awareness. It also includes links, bearing the names of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG),  supposedly leading to a list of areas affected by the class suspensions. 

The facts: There are no announcements from the Philippine government or academic institutions about the supposed suspension of classes from March 9 to 13.

No notice from DepEd or the DILG exists, contrary to the claim.

The links in the post do not lead to an official government website, but to e-commerce pages and a blog site claiming to be affiliated with the government.

Looming oil price hike: Ongoing tensions in the Middle East between Iran, Israel, and US forces have prompted fears over a potential fuel crisis.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important oil transit checkpoints, affecting global energy markets.

Department of Energy Secretary Sharon Garin explained that while the Philippines sources finished products like processed gasoline and diesel from Asian countries, the closure of the strait may have a “domino effect” in Asia, affecting the refining countries that sell finished products to the Philippines.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured the public that the country has a fuel inventory of up to 60 days. The President may also consider adopting a four-day workweek as part of the country’s efforts to save energy, Palace press officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing on March 4.

The Chief Executive has also encouraged the public, including government officials, to avoid unnecessary travel and conserve energy to prepare for the possible soaring of fuel prices in the coming weeks. – Lourence Angelo Marcellana/Rappler.com

Lourence Angelo Marcellana is a volunteer. He is a fourth-year journalism student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the former Editor-in-Chief of PUP College of Communication’s The Communicator.

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