October 19 still a holiday but no more celebration

OCTOBER 19 stays as a non-working public holiday in the City of Bacolod, said Councilor Caesar Distrito, but there is no more celebration on that day because the city has already celebrated last June 18 the signing into law of R.A. 7724 that establishes the city's Charter Day.

Councilor Sonya Verdeflor proposed a resolution to request the City Mayor to facilitate even a simple celebration for the Charter Day of Bacolod on October 19.

But it did not get the nod of the majority members of the City Council, considering that it cannot have a double celebration for its Charter Day.

Verdeflor said that the Office of the President has denied the request made by the city council to declare June 18 as the commemoration of the signing into law of the city's Charter Day as there is an existing law that sets October 19 as the recognized Charter Day of the city.

It is just fitting to honor the city's Charter Day on October 19 unless the law is repealed.

Distrito said they did not approve the request of Councilor Verdeflor to hold a simple ceremony because it runs counter to the sentiment of the Sanggunian when it passed an ordinance to recognize June 18 as the date of the signing of the Charter and not October 19.

They also passed a resolution requesting Congress to amend the law, moving the Charter Day from October 19 to June 18 of every year.

"We did not object to the resolution to hold a simple celebration not as a Charter Day but for purposes of the inauguration of the first city officials of Bacolod. We only objected on the content of the resolution because it states there that the letter of the Office of the President was quoted the way we already reserved our right and not in conformity with the letter," he said.

October 19 is still a holiday and therefore there is no class and no work because it was declared as a special non-working public holiday for Bacolod City.

By law, October 19 is the city's Charter day because it has not been amended and so it is still the Charter Day of Bacolod. They have requested the amendment of the law, but for the time being, October 19 is declared as a holiday and therefore should be observed as a holiday in the city.

The Office of the President said that there is still no amendment of the law. “All we have done is part of the process as we passed an Ordinance and Resolution requesting Congress to amend the law and until such time that the law has not been amended, October 19 is still a holiday.”

They believe that the appropriate date to celebrate the Charter day is June 18 and not October 19.

There is no illegality in moving the celebration as long as there is only one celebration.

"We have done everything to request the amendment of the law. But the ball is now with the hands of the Congressman to amend the law," Distrito said.

Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Anthony T. Golez, Jr. also sticks with the original date of October 19 as the city's Charter Day.