Cebu City seeks holiday for April 14
The area near the Magellan’s Cross will host the reenactment of the First Baptism in the country which happened 500 years ago on April 14. | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government is seeking the proclamation of a Special Non-Working Holiday on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, for the 500th anniversary of the First Baptism in the country.
In a resolution, the City Council has appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to allow the Cebuanos to celebrate the commemoration solemnly through an official holiday.
Councilor Joel Garganera, the council’s committee chairperson for history and heritage, has submitted a resolution to the council urging the Office of the President to declare a holiday for Cebu on April 14, 2021.
The resolution was passed en masse by the City Council and a copy has been submitted to the Office of the Presidential Assistant to the Visayas (OPAV).
The council believes it is imperative that the Cebuanos be allowed to celebrate the holiday which is important for the history of Cebu City with regards to its role as the center of Christianity in Asia.
“I hope and pray that my resolution urging the President to declare April 14, 500 Years of Christianity as a Special Non-Working Holiday for Cebu City. I hope they will answer our prayer in order to celebrate this historical occasion in a most solemn way,” said Garganera in a text message to the media.
The OPAV has forwarded the resolution to the Office of the Executive Secretary and the agency is awaiting a favorable response from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
If the holiday is proclaimed, this would give Cebuanos time off work and school to celebrate the First Baptism, which will be commemorated through a mass at the Magellan’s Cross where 700 individuals have been allowed by the Interagency Task Force (IATF) to attend.
READ: IATF: Only 700 allowed to physically attend reenactment of first baptism in Cebu
The resolution only covers this year’s celebration and the holiday will not be repeated in the following years. /rcg
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