PRESS STATEMENT
Hon. Arthur “Dodo” Y. Pingoy, Jr., M.D.,
Representative, 2nd District-South Cotabato
Chairman, Committee on Health, House of Representatives, Congress of the Philippines
Rm. 502-South Wing, Batasang Pambansa Complex, Constitution Hills, Quezon City
Tel. Nos.: 931-6313; Telefax 931-5001 loc 7280
17 July 2009
PGMA signs South Cotabato Holiday Bill
“A long-awaited holiday for South Cotabateños”, says Cong Pingoy
Arthur “Dodo” Y. Pingoy, Jr., a senior member of the House of Representatives and representative of the 2nd District of South Cotabato announced today that, finally, South Cotabato will enjoy a special non-working holiday starting this year as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed yesterday Republic Act No. 9654 entitled “An Act Declaring July 18th a Special Nonworking Holiday in the Province of South Cotabato in Commemoration of its Foundation Anniversary and the Culmination of the T’nalak Festival.”
The President signed into law the said holiday bill during his visit to Davao City and Cotabato City where she attended several even like the culmination of the League of Municipalities (LMP) Zero Waste Caravan at the Waterfront Insular Hotel following her trip from Egypt, the inauguration the Awang-cotabato Airport Access Road Project as part of the administration’s initiative to spur tourism and economic development in Cotabato City and the province of Maguindanao.
“The long wait is over. Now, there will be more people especially the greater masses of South Cotabateños who will be able to participate and celebrate the event with appropriate programs and ceremonies with the approval of this law,” Rep. Pingoy said.
“The declaration of our foundation day as an official non-working holiday marks a new era that gives greater opportunity for us to pay our respect to all our forebears and all those who came here before us, as well as to every South Cotabato resident today who are collectively working to shape an even better future for our beloved province,” he said.
Rep. Pingoy, Chairman of the Committee on Health, noted that during the previous years, the participation in the different activities during the celebration was mostly limited to the provincial employees and some volunteer and civic groups due to the fact that July 18 always fell on a regular working day. He said that the only exception is if it falls on a Sunday.
Now on his third and last term, Rep. Pingoy describes the approval of the South Cotabato Holiday bill as very timely and momentous as it was made a day before the culmination of the T’nalak Festival this year.
This annual festival of the province showcases the richness of the culture and historical development of the province and the unity of its people amidst their cultural diversity, as well as the notable achievements and sterling advancements of the South Cotabateños in the promotion of peace, trade, investments and tourism of the province.
“I filed this legislative initiative since the year 2001 during my first term in Congress. I remained ardent and steadfast on this initiative, and campaigned vigorously all these years not only with my colleagues at the House of Representatives but also with the Senate, knowing that South Cotabateños had long clamored for this long-awaited holiday.”
“Finally, on the eighth year of my labor and campaign, my efforts bore fruit and as I begin to serve the last year of my term this July, this year, may this successful legislative endeavor be one of my lasting gifts for all the people of South Cotabato, aside from the reforms I have initiated and led notably in the field of public health policy and medical care and social welfare legislation.”
“I thank House Deputy Speaker Pablo Garcia and the Chairman of the House Committee on Revision of Laws, and Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri for successfully steering this measure at the Senate, and my special thanks, too, to Senator Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” C. Aquino, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile for supporting me on this legislation, as well as to our beloved President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,” Pingoy said.
The province of South Cotabato was created by virtue of Republic Act No. 4849 which was enacted on July 18, 1966. The following year marked the first observance of its foundation anniversary and since then, every July 18 of the year became the traditional celebration of such occasion.
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