Malacañang has asked all government agencies and offices to fully support the country’s hosting of the Miss Universe pageant this month to ensure that it would be successful.

But the palace also said their assistance to the pageant’s activities should not disrupt work in their offices and should not entail the spending of public funds, “except for such reasonable resources required in providing support for the hosting of the pageant.”

The directive was contained in Memorandum Circular 13 dated December 28, 2016 and signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

The circular asked all heads of departments, bureaus, offices, agencies, or instrumentalities of the government, including government-owned and -controlled corporations and state universities and colleges to extend full support for the hosting of the pageant in coordination with the Department of Tourism.

The Palace extended the same appeal to local government units.

It said the DOT may seek the assistance of all government offices, cities and municipalities, and nongovernment organizations.

But work in government should not be disrupted and public funds should not be spent, it further said.

“Officials concerned shall adopt such measures as may be necessary to ensure that there will be no disruption of work and services in their respective offices by reason thereof,” it said.

“Except for such reasonable resources required in providing support for the hosting of the Pageant, no public funds shall be expended for the hosting of the 2016 Miss Universe Pageant,” it added.

The Miss Universe pageant will be held on January 30, 2017 at the Mall of Asia Arena. It will be preceded by pre-pageant activities in different parts of the country.

Miss Universe fund-raising stopped