Senate passes 11 special non-working holidays bills

The Senate approved today on third and final reading 11 house bills which seek to declare special non-working holidays in several provinces to commemorate local events.

Senator Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government and sponsor of the measures, said the holidays he was proposing would remind local residents "how the cradle of their community was formed."

"These dates, while celebrated locally, were milestones that warrant equal recognition from all Filipinos because each commemoration completes the nation's memoir," Angara said.

House Bill Nos. 622, 5552, 1928, 6689, 5258, 6160, 5173, 5553, and 705 propose the declaration of special non-working holidays on March 24 in Ligao, Albay; April 3 in Albay; June 16 in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental; June 17 in Agusan Del Sur, July 4 in Lanao Del Norte; September 7 in Cavite City, September 17 in Los Baños, Laguna; November 2 in Misamis Occidental, December 8 in Agoo, La Union; in commemoration of their respective founding anniversaries.

"For communities to progress, we must also consider honoring and learning from our history and the people who were part of it. This is also an occasion for them to celebrate the period when they united as one province," Angara said.

The Senate also approved House Bill No. 7044, which proposes to declare June 18 as a special non-working holiday in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, to be known as "Bacolod City Charter Day." HBN 7044 also commemorates the day President Manuel L. Quezon signed and approved Commonwealth Act No. 326, which created the City of Bacolod.

House Bill No. 5689, proposes to declare August 2 as a special non-working holiday in Butuan, Agusan del Norte in commemoration of its charter day, was also approved by the Senate. (AY Almirañez)