Gamboa to ditch Senate hearing on June 18 Charter Day

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BY MAE SINGUAY

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February 19, 2018
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BACOLOD City – Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) committee on history, culture and arts will not attend the Senate hearing set today for the bill that seeks to change the date of the city’s Charter Day.

Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., who chairs the committee, said he already conducted a public hearing on House Bill (HB) No. 5875, which aims to declare June 18 of every year as the Bacolod City Charter Day.

HB No. 5875 also seeks to make the date a special nonworking holiday in the city.

According to Gamboa, he conducted an earlier public hearing to “clarify the matter.”

He added that before he conducted the hearing, the SP already passed a resolution supporting the bill.

The House of Representatives on its third and final reading has approved the bill on Feb. 14, according to bill proponent Rep. Greg Gasataya.

The bill now awaits Senate’s approval.

Gamboa said he filed a position paper before the office of Sen. AquilinoPimental III on Feb. 9.

Gamboa’s position paper expressed his “relative stand” on HB No. 5875. He also filed the position paper before the SP.

According to Gamboa, he consulted Rene Escalante, chairman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), regarding Bacolod’s cityhood.

Citing the NHCP, Gamboa said in the paper that Commonwealth Act 326 – which officially turned Bacolod into a city – was enacted on June 18, 1938.

But Gamboa added that Bacolod came into “corporate existence” when then president Manuel Quezon inaugurated the city on Oct. 19, 1938 during a “foundational rites.”

The “foundational rites” was joined by Bacolodnons – the reason that Oct. 19 was celebrated as the city’s Charter/Foundation Day, Gamboa said.

The NHCP also mentioned Republic Act (RA) 7724, which declares Oct. 19 of every year as the Bacolod City Charter Day.

RA 7724 was passed on May 19, 1994 and was signed by former president Fidel Ramos.

Gasatayaearlier said RA 7724 was only enacted “for the purpose of having the Charter Day coincide with the (sic) MassKara Festival.”

Former mayor MonicoPuentevella said he wants the non-passage of HB No. 5875, also citing NHCP./PN
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