Lagman files bill declaring EDSA anniversary as regular holiday

Albay Representative Edcel Lagman on Monday filed a bill seeking to declare February 25 of every year as regular, national and public non-working holiday in commemoration of the last day of the historic EDSA People Power Revolution.

Lagman filed the bill after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., in his Proclamation 368, excluded February 25 from the list of holidays and special non-working days for 2024.

"There must be a law institutionalizing the celebration as a regular national public non-working holiday of the EDSA People Power Revolution which started on February 22, 1986 and culminated on February 25, 1986," Lagman said in his House Bill 9405.

The EDSA People Power Revolution ended the then-decades-old rule of Marcos' father and namesake, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

Under Lagman's proposed measure, the EDSA Commission, created under Executive Order 82, will be reconstituted to plan and implement appropriate nationwide ceremonies for the observance of February 25.

"It has often been said that Filipinos have a short memory. This is unsurprising since we as a country have failed to institutionalize memorialization compared with other States," the veteran lawmaker said.

Lagman also urged President Marcos and his allies to support the enactment of his proposed law.

In the Senate, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said it was not a problem if Lagman’s bill would be enacted or not.

Asked if the EDSA People Power Revolution needed to be remembered, Dela Rosa said, “As I’ve said, pwedeng i-commemorate, pwedeng hindi."

“Nasa gitna lang ako… Kung sabhin mo safe ako masyado magsagot, 'yan lang talaga ang naramdaman ko,” he added.

(As I've said, it may be commemorated or not. I'm just in the middle. If you'll say I'm being too safe, I'm just being true to what I feel.)

In a statement on Friday, Malacañang said February 25 was not included in the list of holidays and special non-working days for 2024 because it fell on a Sunday.

"There is a minimal socio-economic impact in declaring such a day as a special non-working holiday since it coincides with the rest day for most workers/laborers," it said.

President Marcos declared February 24, 2023 a special non-working day "to enable our countrymen to avail of the benefits of a longer weekend pursuant to the principle of holiday economics... provided that the historical significance of the EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary is maintained."

February 25, 2023 was a Saturday. —Llanesca T. Panti/KBK, GMA Integrated News