Fact check: There is no class suspension on June 16 due to mpox
MANILA, Philippines — No official government agencies have announced class suspensions for June 16, contrary to claims that public schools will not open as scheduled due to mpox.
Multiple TikTok videos circulated over the past week falsely claiming that the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) issued a “walang pasok” advisory for June 16 due to mpox.
One post by TikTok user im_notk4i on June 1 uploaded the edited advisory with an overlay text of “Is this Good news or Bad news.”
The video uses a doctored image imitating the style of PCO’s official statements, incorporating the agency's logo, the Bagong Pilipinas emblem and its social media username.
The fake advisory states:
“WALANG PASOK June 16 2025 class suspended due to mpox virus” (NO CLASSES June 16 2025 class suspended due to mpox virus)
RATING: This is fake.
Facts
Although the PCO is among the offices that publish class suspension announcements, it has made no such announcement for June 16.
DepEd, the official source for public school announcements, has likewise issued no suspension for the first day of classes. Education Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed that the school year will begin as scheduled, debunking the claim of class cancellations.
"Hindi po totoong kanselado ang pagbubukas ng klase ngayong Hunyo. Laging i-check ang official announcements mula sa Department of Education para sa tamang impormasyon," he said in a Facebook post on Friday, June 6.
(It is not true that the opening of classes this June has been canceled. Always check official announcements from the Department of Education for accurate information.)
The fake advisory was clearly modeled after this official PCO “walang pasok” post and manipulated to include fabricated text.
On Facebook, DepEd frequently shares the PCO’s class suspension announcements. When it issues its own, the format resembles this April 2024 post.
Why we fact-checked this
The fake “walang pasok” post comes after a similar doctored health advisory that falsely claimed the Department of Health (DOH) had ordered a lockdown due to mpox.
While more confirmed mpox cases have been reported by city, municipal and provincial governments recently, the DOH stressed that mpox is not an airborne disease and does not warrant community lockdowns.
Mpox is primarily transmitted through sexual contact with an infected person, but it can also spread through close skin-to-skin contact with rashes, scabs or bodily fluids.
DOH has advised the public to avoid hugging, massaging, kissing or engaging in sexual intercourse with individuals who may have been infected by mpox. Symptoms include rash, fever, chills, muscle pain and swollen lymph nodes.
The June 1 post has garnered over 28,600 views, nearly 400 likes, and 180 shares as of June 6. An even more viral video posted on the same day reached over 551,600 views and 8,500 shares.
The erroneous posts not only spread fear but also risk misleading public school students and teachers into missing the first day of classes for School Year 2025 - 2026.
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