Villar joins Bacolod City Charter Day anniversary

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Re-elected Senator Cynthia Villar is the guest of honor and speaker of the 81st charter day anniversary of Bacolod City today, June 18, 2019.

This is the first time that Bacolod City will celebrate its charter day on June 18 instead of October 19.

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that June 18 of every year is now a “special non-working holiday” in Bacolod after President Rodrigo Duterte signed in 2018 Republic Act No. 11146 that declares June 18 as the correct date of the “Bacolod City Charter Day.”

“This is the first June 18 Charter Day celebration of Bacolod. For the past 80 years, it was celebrated every October 19. But starting this year, it will be celebrated every June 18. After 80 years, we will now have our history in proper order,” Leonardia said.

Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya filed House Bill 7044 on June 13, 2017, upon the request of Leonardia, to correct Republic Act 7724 that erroneously set October 19 as the date for the celebration of the Charter Day of Bacolod City.

Gasataya said the amended bill was filed after the discovery that the City’s Charter was actually signed by President Manuel Quezon on June 18, 1938.

October 19, on the other hand, was the inauguration of the first city officials, which Quezon attended, he added.

RA 11146 also provides that the inauguration of the City of Bacolod shall be commemorated every Oct. 19, and that the highlights of the MassKara Festival shall be held on the fourth Sunday of October.