PinoyBusiness.ORG – Home

A bill has been passed in the House of Representatives that seeks to move the celebration of National Hero’s Day from December 30 to August 19. Sponsors of the bill believe that the birth of the country’s national hero, Jose Rizal, should be commemorated instead of his death.

The chamber has approved on the third and final reading House Bill No. 5408 which seeks to move the observance of Rizal day to June 19, Rizal’s birthday, instead of December 30, the date of his execution. The bill will amend Administrative Code of 1987, specifically Section 26, Chapter 7, Book I of Executive Order No. 292.

Manila Representative Jaime Lopez, who sponsored the bill said, “Dr. Jose Rizal devoted practically all of his 35 years of existence on earth in putting premium on education and knowledge; and not on violence as a means of change.”

He said, it was Rizal’s writings which awakened Filipinos to unite together to attain the much-needed independence against foreign denomination. He added that, the death of Rizal alone, did not trigger the 1896 revolution that Filipinos thought catapulted the country to independence.

“It was his life-long accomplishments done during his lifetime that inspired and pushed us Filipinos to fight and work for our greatness as a race,” Lopez said.

Co-sponsoring the bill with Lopez was Laguna Representative Justin March Chipeco, who also believes that June 19 should be declared a national, non-working public holiday throughout the country.

For his part, National Historical Institute chair Ambet Ocampo was in full support of the proposed bill of moving the observance of Rizal Day. Ocampo said that by doing so, Rizal will be given more prominence which he deserved, rather than just a non-working holiday, or as an after though, which was squeezed in between Christmas and New Year’s Day.