Tags: General News, Legislation
By Alexander Villafania
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA – A measure making the Chinese New Year in the Philippines into a non-working holiday is being mulled by Congress under the House Committee on Revision of Laws.
House Bills 1072, and 2715 were consolidated into HB 611, authored by Representative Juan Edgardo Angara (lone district of Aurora). He said the goal is to recognize the contribution of the Filipino-Chinese community to the Philippines and strengthen Filipino-Chinese relations.
The other proposed bills were authored by Representatives Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro) and Emil Ong (2nd District, Northern Samar).
The consolidated bill has been approved for floor deliberation, just a few steps before the Senate could also approve its passage.
The Chinese New Year celebrations in the Philippines, held around the first week of February, is normally declared a special public working holiday.
Ong said about 25 percent of the Philippine population are Filipino-Chinese. The current Philippine population stands at 94 million, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).
Chinese influence in the Philippines dates all the way back to the 10th century, nearly 600 years prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. Trading of various goods was among the major activities that pre-colonial Filipinos did with Chinese traders.
Many areas of Filipino culture have been influenced by Chinese culture, including beliefs, food, and business practices. Some of the major corporations in the Philippines are also owned by Filipino-Chinese businessmen.
Even President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III also has Chinese roots through his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, whose father was former Tarlac Congressman Jose Cojuangco Sr.
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