August 31 Was Declared A Non-Working Holiday in Aklan in 2007 Only

Ref: Aklan SP 268-5572, 262-7340, 09075286884/09183385315
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August 24, 2010

August 31 Was Declared A Non-Working Holiday in Aklan in 2007 Only

By Richie D. Oloroso

Kalibo, Aklan- Not until a new Presidential Proclamation is issued by President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, August 31 this year, the late Jaime Cardinal L. Sin’s birth anniversary, will simply remain as an ordinary working day in this province.

It was only in 2007 that August 31 was declared a special non-working holiday in the Province of Aklan by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the aftermath of Cardinal Sin’s death on June 21, 2005 through Presidential Proclamation No. 1370.

The commemoration of his death in 2007 was marked with the unveiling of his 13.5-foot towering statue right in the heart of the New Washington, Aklan’s public plaza, a statue caused to be sculptured and installed by then Ambassador Antonio Cabangon Chua. 

The New Washington rites then was well participated by th national government dignitaries led by then Senate President Manuel Villar Jr.,then House Speaker Jose de Venecia, then Oriental Mindoro Rep. Rodolfo Valencia, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, then DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral, then Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, then Ambassador to Italy Henrietta de Villa, then Roxas City mayor Vicente Bermejo, then Postmaster General Hector Villanueva, NHI Chairman Ambeth Ocampo, then Presidential Management Staff Head, the late Cerge Remonde, then DENR Secretary Lito Atienza, then DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza, then Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. Then NHI Chairman Ambeth Ocampo officiated the unveiling rights then.

That Presidential Proclamation was then signed by then Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

Cardinal Sin, a true blooded Aklanon who is a native of New Washington, Aklan, is a revered Roman Catholic religious leader and is widely considered as an icon of faith, a freedom fighter and an icon of democracy who was one of the leaders of the bloodless People’s Power Revolution in 1986.

He was a former archbishop of Iloilo and Manila whose love aand economic projects in Aklan he personally facilitated which left a lasting imprint and legacy to Aklanons.

Actually, in 2007, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Aklan presided by Vice Governor Gabrielle V. Calizo-Quimpo passed a provincial ordinance declaring August 31, 2007 and every year thereafter as a special non-working holiday in Aklan but Governor Carlito S. Marquez did not approve it citing that it is not within the powers of the provincial legislative body to declare local holidays.

On August 25, 2010 (Wednesday) regular session of the SP, SP Member Rodson F. Mayor is expected to sponsor a resolution requesting President Noynoy Aquino to declare August 31 every year as a special non-working holiday in Aklan through a Presidential Proclamation while at the same time another resolution will be introduced by Mayor requesting Aklan Reprresenta5tive Florencio T. Miraflores and Kasangga Party List Representative Teodoro Haresco Jr. to file a related bill in Congress.