President Aquino had declared Monday and Tuesday as non-working days with August 29 as National Heroes Day and August 30 as the end of Ramadan.

The following day, government and private businesses and classes were suspended by Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda because of the national transport strike.

Salceda again declared Friday as a non-working day and classes suspended in recognition of the 146th birth anniversary of General Simeon Ola, the first Bicolano general from Guinobatan, Albay and the last to surrender to the Americans during their occupation at the turn of the 20th century, making Thursday the only working and school day last week.

(Manly Ugalde)