BACOLOD City – There would be no public celebration in this year’s charter day, set today, June 18 following the recommendation of the city Inter-Agency Task Force and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to prevent the spread of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
This city celebrates its 83rd Charter Day, which is also a non-working holiday under Republic Act (RA) No. 11146.
“Because of the present COVID-19 figures, city officials have decided to postpone the celebration until better times come,” Mayor Evelio Leonardia said in a statement.
The decision was upon the recommendation of Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chairman of the city IATF and City Administrator Em Ang, executive director of EOC.
“The postponement of our celebration is indefinite…We hope for the understanding of our people as this is a move to contain COVID-19,” Leonardia said.
The city had made early planning and preparations for the public celebration of the charter day, as practiced and mandated by City Ordinance (CO) No. 616 entitled “Mga Adlaw Sang Paghanduraw.”
Presidential Legal Adviser Secretary Salvador Panelo would have been the guest of honor and speaker.
“We wish to assure our fellow Bacolodnons that we will continue to give due honor and respect to the observance of that historic day of June 18, 1938 when President Manuel L. Quezon signed Commonwealth Act 326 which created the City of Bacolod. We believe that singular event was a major factor that catapulted Bacolod to where it is today,” Leonardia added.
This would have been the third year that the city is celebrating the charter day in June, after it had celebrated the occasion every Oct. 19 in the past 80 years./PN
