Philippine flag (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
The House of Representatives has unanimously passed on third and final reading the measure that seeks to declare Aug. 1 of every year a special working holiday.
Embodied in House Bill (HB) No.7986, the measure seeks to commemorate an important piece of Philippine history--that is, the official declaration of Philippine independence in Bacoor, Cavite on Aug. 1, 1898.
During plenary session last May 22, a total of 270 House members voted "yes" to giving final approval to the measure. Nobody entered a "no" vote or an abstention.
Should the measure get enacted, the special working holiday will be known as the ‘Promulgation of the Solemn Declaration of Philippine Independence".
House Speaker Martin Romualdez said that the events of Aug. 1, 1898 only came to light within the past few years.
"It is only right to recognize this significant event in our storied past: the solemn declaration of Philippine independence in Bacoor, Cavite on Aug. 1, 1898. I hope this measure will provide Filipinos with the encouragement to pursue knowledge on what transpired during the birth of our nation and hopefully look at this momentous event as a source of national pride and patriotism,” he said.
The bill seeks official recognition to the Promulgation of the Solemn Declaration of Philippine Independence during the Bacoor Assembly in 1898 as part of the country’s path to independence.
It was the local government of Bacoor City – headed by then-Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla – that commissioned Philippine Historical Association (PHA) President Dr. Emmanuel Calairo to research what transpired during the Bacoor Assembly, a gathering of close to 200 “presidente mayor” or local leaders from different provinces at that time.
Calairo came up with a book titled “Proclamation: Philippine Independence - The Truth About Aug. 1, 1898 Bacoor Assembly (A Historiographical Inquiry),” which highlighted the role of the Bacoor Assembly in shaping the country’s history.
The measure was principally authored by Cavite Reps. Mercado-Revilla, Jolo Revilla, Elpidio Barzaga, Aniela Tolentino, Roy Loyola, and Adrian Advincula, along with Manila Rep. Edward Maceda.