FACT CHECK: No nationwide class suspension declared for Marcos’ 5th SONA

Classes have been suspended only in some areas; the Quezon City and Manila LGUs announced localized class suspensions Claim: Malacañang has declared class suspensions nationwide on July 27, 2026, for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr’s State of the Nation Address (SONA). Rating: FALSE Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook reel bearing the claim was uploaded on July 23 by the Facebook page “Ph News Today Tv” and has garnered 309,000 views, 2,000 reactions, 50 comments, 247 shares, and 184 saves, as of writing. Its caption reads, “Walang pasok dahil sa SONA ni BBM sa July 27 Lunes (No classes due to [Bongbong Marcos’] SONA on Monday, July 27).” In the video, a narrator says, “Nagdeklara na ang Malacañang na walang pasok sa Lunes, July 27, para sa ika-limang SONA o State of the Nation Address ng Pangulo sa buong bansa. Pili lamang ang mga lugar na walang pasok sa buong bansa. Tingnan sa post namin ang memo gayundin ang mga lugar na walang pasok.” (Malacañang has declared the suspension of classes on Monday, July 27, nationwide for the President’s fifth State of the Nation Address. Only specific areas across the country are covered by the suspension. See our post for the official memorandum and the list of affected areas.) Several social media users were confused by the conflicting information, asking in the comments section whether classes have been suspended in their specific localities. The facts: No official statements or declarations have been issued by Malacañang or the Presidential Communications Office ordering nationwide class suspensions in connection with the President’s fifth SONA. Likewise, the Department of Education has not released any memorandum or directive declaring nationwide class suspensions for the occasion. However, some local government units, including Quezon City and the City of Manila, have announced localized class suspensions under their respective jurisdictions. Fake content: An analysis of the circulating Facebook reel using Hive Moderation indicates that the video’s audio and speech are 99.9% AI-generated, with no indication that it is a deepfake. Meanwhile, the shortened URL included in the reel’s caption redirects users to an online shopping site and does not contain the supposed government memorandum or official document referenced by the narrator. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing) SONA 2026: Marcos is scheduled to deliver his fifth SONA at the Batasang Pambansa on Monday, July 27. This is in accordance with Article VII, Section 23 of the 1987 Constitution, which states that the President shall address Congress at the opening of its regular session. This year’s SONA comes at a critical time amid the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and investigations into billion-peso corruption scandals that hounded the Marcos administration. The speech and the opening of the regular session of Congress are scheduled to begin at 4 pm Manila time. (READ: Marcos’ SONA 2026: How to follow Rappler’s special coverage) – Jennifer Pading/Rappler.com Jennifer Jezreel Kaye Pading is an economics student at Visayas State University in Baybay City in Leyte. An Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow for 2026, she is also the Executive Editor of Amaranth and community officer of AYEJ-Leyte Panaad Ha Sinirangan. Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time. How does this make you feel? Loading