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427th foundation day no-work holiday for Batangas


BATANGAS CITY, Philippines – Malacañang has declared December 8 a special non-working holiday for Batangas province as it celebrates its 427th Foundation Day, the provincial tourism office announced Thursday. The Palace made the declaration through Proclamation 1679, which was signed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita. This year's foundation-day theme is "Batangas kong Mahal…Duyan ng mga Bayani…Ugat at Lundo ng Kaunlaran." Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto will grace the four-day celebration, which will start on Friday and will kick off with outdoor games for municipal government employees and the opening of the One Town One Product Exhibit. Among the activities during the festivities are the Mutya ng Lalawigan ng Batangas beauty pageant, mini-band competition and an inter-school volleyball competition sponsored by the Department of Education. The festival will also highlight street dances, contest for biggest fruit and vegetable products, and a free band concert among others. This is the first time in 427 years that Batangas will be celebrating its foundation day on December 8. In previous years, Provincial Tourism Officer Francisco Lardizabal said that the province observed the occasion every January 16. "Based on our existing research, however, we found out that Batangas was founded on 1581 but there's no exact date stating when it officially became a province," Lardizabal told GMANews.TV in an interview. Because of this, Lardizabal said the provincial government, through Ordinance No. 001-2008, has chosen December 8 as the foundation date of Batangas. The date coincides with the celebration of the feast of Mary's Immaculate Conception, a patroness of Taal town. The name Batangas was derived from the word "batang" a term for driftwoods found in Calumpang River that traverses the northeastern portion of the present Batangas City. Formerly known as Comintang, Batangas was officially recognized as a province under Spain in 1581, the National Historical Institute said. Its jurisdiction extended over a vast territory which includes the present provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Marinduque, Mindoro and Camarines. The first capital of Batangas was Balayan, but was later replaced by Taal in 1732. The province is now composed of 31 municipalities and three cities, with Batangas City as its capital. - Marlon A. Luistro, GMANews.TV
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