Tomas feels bad Noynoy not keen on ‘Happy 8 bill’

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

REPRESENTATIVE Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district) expressed his dismay when he learned that President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III is not in favor of his proposal filed in Congress in September 2010.

Osmeña is referring to his House Bill 3152 or “An Act Declaring Dec. 25 to Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 as Special Non-Working Holidays.”

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The proposal, which he also called the “Happy 8” or the eight-day holiday bill, will
realign all the holidays in December so there will be one long break.

It has only two provisions and the other one is to make two Saturdays preceding Dec.
25 as regular working days to prevent a work backlog.

If passed into law, it would give families more time to go on vacation and to bond together, aside from promoting domestic tourism, the congressman has said.

Support

Osmeña, in the previous interview, disclosed that more than 50 congressmen have supported and co-authored his bill.

But the lawmaker said he heard a negative feedback that the highest official in the country is not favorable to his proposal.

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines party-list Rep. Raymond Mendoza earlier said the bill may be good for tourism but may be too much of a burden to employers and those who need work.

The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is not also supportive of the proposal because it will require additional expense, such as holiday pay, and lead to low productivity.

Osmeña’s bill, which he copied from a similar measure in the United States where holidays are long weekends, is still pending with the committee on revision of laws.

When asked if he will still lobby for the approval of his bill, the congressman clarified he is already tired of it.

Osmeña said, though, aside from the “Happy 8” bill, he has another proposal in Congress but he refused to disclose it yet.

The congressman earlier said he also plans to propose a change in the All Souls’ Day celebration in the country.

All Souls’ Day is celebrated on Nov. 2, but Osmeña wants to move the observance to the first Monday of the month so people could spend more time in their hometowns.