Cory Aquino Holiday?

From the Philippine STAR

National Historical Institute backs move declaring January 25 as Cory Aquino Day
By Christina Mendez Updated August 25, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The National Historical Institute (NHI) is supporting a resolution at the Senate seeking to declare Jan. 25 of every year as Cory Aquino Day in honor of the late president.

But NHI chairman Ambeth Ocampo said the declaration of holidays might take 10 years for historians to decide to gain historical perspective.

“As a Filipino, we support the resolution. As a historian, and following our rules, we actually advise that we study further, because as historians, normally when we are asked to comment on holidays, our standard excuse following from the time of the late Teodoro Agoncillo was always to ask for 10 years to gain historical perspective,” Ocampo said during the Senate hearing by the committee on education, arts and culture headed by Sen. Manuel Roxas II.

Ocampo noted that even the process of canonization takes five years to accomplish.

He also pushed for the legislative review of the declaration of holidays, which has jumbled the school calendar.

“Perhaps, we should review the existing holidays because there are a lot as you have mentioned, and see how we can (assess) further if we put in a Cory holiday to give it the importance that it deserves,” said Ocampo, who also noted that the public usually goes to malls during the holidays, rather than commemorate it.

“So we would suggest actually strengthening this resolution as a matter of support that we actually look into the way in which Cory Aquino or EDSA is taught in schools. Our textbooks are in great need of revision, there are still some textbooks that still state that Marcos declared martial law to save the Republic and everybody knows that it is not true anymore, but it is still there.”

While the NHI supports the resolution, Ocampo suggested that former President Aquino might also be honored by renaming new streets, schools and hospitals “to memorialize her.”

“We are happy that this resolution actually stopped short of declaring Cory Aquino as a national hero as they have done in the lower house simply because no Congress has actually been (able) to declare a national hero. We cannot legislate heroes, heroes are made by acclamation,” Ocampo said.

“We endorse and support this bill, but we must really look into the holiday, even the date. Do we want it to be Jan. 25, which is so close to Christmas? Do we want to merge it with Aug. 21, which is Ninoy’s (death anniversary)? We support it but we recommend further study and complete staff work,” he said.

NCCA supports resolution

Education Undersecretary Vilma Labrador, also chair of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), supported Roxas’ resolution to give credence to Aquino’s contribution for the people.

“If we talk about democracy then there is one very important person who should be mentioned and I believe that it is just so fitting to have a very important day not only to discuss what this person has contributed to our country’s democratic way of life but to have a model, to have somebody as an aspiring motivator. We need models right now,” Labrador said.

She was joined by other education officials in saying that the school can declare make-up classes to ensure that students can cope with the academic requirements.

She added that Mrs. Aquino’s life and her political, cultural, and social contributions could be included in the Social Studies curriculum taught among levels in primary and secondary schools.

Labor Liaison specialist Raymond Rosales said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is not encouraging holidays, but it supports the resolution.

“We cited the holidays covered under RA 9492, we have 11 regular holidays and three special holidays. Our position is that we don’t encourage the declaration of holidays. But for this important measure, we appreciate the intention of the bill. We support the same,” Rosales told the committee.

Roxas vowed to submit the report on the measure after all positions were forwarded to his committee.

Roxas filed Joint Resolution 28 seeking to honor the late President Aquino by declaring her birth date Jan. 25 as a national holiday to be called Cory Aquino Day.