It's a special holiday in La Union today

SAN FERNANDO, La Union , Philippines  – President Arroyo declared today a special non-working holiday in this province, which is celebrating its 160th founding anniversary.

Based on Proclamation No. 2007 issued last Feb. 22, the President, through Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, declared the holiday to allow the people of La Union to celebrate the birth of their province.

“It is but fitting and proper that the people of La Union be given full opportunity to celebrate this milestone in their province’s history with appropriate ceremonies,” the proclamation stated.

La Union was created as a province on March 2, 1850 through a superior decreto signed by then Spanish Governor-General Antonio Maria Blanco.

The province was founded by the “real father of La Union,” Captain General Narciso Zaldua Claveria, considered as Spain’s most dynamic colonial executive in the 19th century.

La Union, which means unification, is the union of three contiguous geographical territories: Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, and Benguet.

The first governor of La Union is Don Toribio Ruiz de la Escalera who was designated on March 4, 1850, two days after the creation of the province, while the first civil governor is Don Juaquin Ortega.

Ortega was appointed to the position during the American regime on Aug. 15, 1901 by the Taft Commission under then Governor General William Howard Taft.

For the anniversary celebration, the provincial government, headed by Gov. Manuel Ortega, has lined up weeklong activities featuring the “wealth and wonders” of the province.

One of the highlights is the selection and coronation of the Mutya ng La Union 2010 at the provincial plaza here.