House committee recommends Jan 6 as holiday in Toledo City

CEBU, Philippines - The House Committee on Revision of Laws chaired by Pangasinan Representative Marlyn Primicias-Agabas has recommended the approval of a bill seeking to declare January 6 of every year as a special non-working holiday in Toledo City for the city’s Charter Day.

House Bill 4984, which substituted HB 4075 authored by Cebu Third District Representative Gwendolyn Garcia, is now with the Committee on Rules for deliberation on second reading.

Garcia filed HB 4075 early this year following the request of the City Council of Toledo through a resolution sponsored by Councilor Ricardo “Kuya Nick” Pepito.

“Daku nako nga kalipay nga sa pipila ka tuig ang milabay gikan sa pagkahimong siyudad mahatagan na gyud og kahigayunan ang Toledo sama sa ubang syudad,” Pepito told The FREEMAN.

On June 19, 1960, Toledo became a chartered city under Republic Act No. 2688. Since then, it has become tradition for the city to celebrate with merriment to boost the camaraderie of the residents “as a community of peace-loving citizens.”

Pepito said that other chartered cities in Cebu have their Charter Days declared as special non-working holiday for them to be able to celebrate with added meaning and significance reminiscent of its founding day.

The city has since celebrated the charter day every January 6 but Congress still has not declared the same as a holiday.

Toledo City, formerly known as Pueblo Hinulawan, is a third class city with a population of 157,078 people, as of 2010 census.

It was made into a city in 1961 through the efforts of former congressman Manuel A. Zosa, representative of the old Sixth District of Cebu, who authored Republic Act No. 2688.

Toledo was originally known as “Hinulawan” which derived its name from the Hinulawan River running across the municipality.

It was renamed Toledo, during its establishment as a new town, borrowing the name from a province of Spain. When the first Philippine Republic was formed under President Emilio Aguinaldo, Toledo was converted into a district of Cebu Province and governed by a “Junta Popular.”

Following the colonization of the archipelago in 1896 to 1946, Toledo became a full-pledged municipality when Governor Francis Burton Harrison signed Act No. 119 on December 19, 1919. — (FREEMAN)