No House ok yet for Yolanda, Ormoc tragedy commemorations as holidays

ORMOC CITY, Philippines — The proposal to declare as holidays the 'Yolanda Commemoration Day' and the 'Ormoc Flash Flood Commemoration Day,' has not yet been approved by Congress, according to Representatives Yedda Romualdez (1st district, Leyte), and Lucy Torres Gomez (4th dist., Leyte).

The two lawmakers have earlier filed bills asking Congress to declare November 5 (as local holiday for Ormoc City) and November 8 (in Eastern Visayas for Yolanda) to commemorate the fateful days when thousands died after natural calamities struck.

Philip Jude Acidre, political and legislative affairs officer of Romualdez, said both bills are still up for 2nd reading in the House. “The Senate counterpart has just been filed, authored by Sen. Edgardo Angara,” he said.

“The bill was just filed last year, and acted upon by the House committee early this year and due for second reading when session resumes,” Acidre said. “The Senate version was just filed, but since this is a law of local application, we need to wait for the House to pass it on third reading,” he said.

Acidre however is confident that both bills would be passed in Congress. “Similar to Lucy’s bill, the Yolanda Commemoration Bill (of Romualdez) is also gaining support in the House,” he added.

November 8 was the day when super-typhoon Yolanda struck Eastern Visayas in 2013, killing 6,329 people with 1,074 still missing.

November 5, 1991 was the day in Ormoc City when a 15-minute flash flood killed an estimated 8,000 people. (FREEMANNEWS)