BACOLOD City – There is no better gift President Rodrigo Duterte could give this city than his signing of the law declaring June 18 as the Bacolod City Charter Day – at least, for Mayor Evelio Leonardia.
“This is the best gift the President could give us during the birthday of Bacolod,” Leonardia said.
Republic Act 11146 declares June 18, 1938 as the day Bacolod was born and makes June 18 of every year a special nonworking holiday in this city.
The mayor received the confirmation on Wednesday from the Malacañang Records Office that Duterte already signed the law.
The new law corrected Republic Act 7724, which set Oct. 19 of every year as the Charter Day and made the date a special nonworking holiday.
While no longer a holiday, Oct. 19 will still be commemorated as the Inauguration Day of the Bacolod, as provided in RA 11146.
This year Bacolod is celebrating its 80th founding anniversary.
Highlighting the milestone, the MassKara Festival in October had the theme, “Happy Birthday, Bacolod.”
The signing of the new law is “one of the highlights of the 80th [anniversary] celebration of Bacolod,” said Leonardia.
Having signed the new Charter Day law, Duterte has become part of the history of the city, the mayor said.
“We thank him for being instrumental in correcting the history of Bacolod,” said the local chief executive. “The President will now be part and parcel of the history books of Bacolod City.”
Moreover Leonardia believes Bacolod has “a special place in the heart” of the President.
He noted that Duterte visited the city during the MassKara Festival three times since assuming the presidency in June 2016.
“He (Duterte) came to Bacolod three times straight, which is unheard of in other places,” said the mayor. (With Philippine News Agency/PN)
