‘No Yolanda, Ormoc holidays yet’

ORMOC CITY, Philippines — The bills seeking to declare holidays to commemorate Super Typhoon Yolanda and the flash flood that hit Ormoc in 1991 are still pending before both houses of Congress.

The proponents of the measures issued the clarification yesterday amid speculation that the laws declaring the holidays had been signed.

Leyte first district Rep. Yedda Romualdez filed a bill seeking to declare Nov. 8 of every year as Yolanda Commemorative Day.

Fourth district Rep. Lucy Torres Gomez sought to declare Nov. 5 as Ormoc Flash Flood Memorial Day and a special non-working holiday in Ormoc.

Philip Jude Acidre, Romualdez’s political affairs officer, said both bills are expected to be passed on second reading at the House of Representatives when Congress resumes session.

Acidre said Sen. Edgardo Angara authored the Senate version of the bills.

“The Senate version had just been filed...Since this is a law of local application, we need to wait for the House to pass it on third reading,” Acidre said.

He said both bills are gaining support in both houses of Congress.

More than 6,000 people were killed and over 1,000 remain missing after Yolanda hit Eastern Visayas in 2013.

The flash flood that struck Ormoc on Nov. 5, 1991 left almost 8,000 people dead.