The country is set to mark September 3 as a special working public holiday to commemorate the surrender of Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita and his army in Baguio City during World War II. This is in accordance with a House bill that President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law on February 14 this year.
September 3 is a special working public holiday in PH
According to Republic Act (RA) 11216, September 3 will be known annually as a special working public holiday throughout the country, in commemoration of the surrender of the Japanese military forces led by General Yamashita at the American High Commissioner’s Residence in Camp John Hay, Baguio City. The surrender signaled the end of World War II in the Pacific.
Republic Act No. 11216
Congress of the Philippines
Metro Manila
Seventeenth Congress
Third Regular Session
Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-third day of July, two thousand eighteen.
[REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11216]
AN ACT DECLARING SEPTEMBER 3 OF EVERY YEAR A SPECIAL WORKING PUBLIC HOLIDAY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, IN COMMEMORATION OF THE SURRENDER OF THE JAPANESE MILITARY FORCES LED BY GENERAL TOMOYUKI YAMASHITA IN BAGUIO CITY
For the complete details of the Republic Act No. 11216, click here.
House Representative Mark Go of Baguio City authored the original house bill. He also expressed the significance of emphasizing Baguio as the location where World War II in the Philippines started and ended. According to historical documents, World War II started in the Pacific after Camp John Hay was bombed by Japanese warplanes on December 8, 1941, a day after Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7.
Go said the historical event was also especially important to the Cordilleras, as it was in the town of Kiangan, Ifugao where Yamashita and his forces were captured by Ifugao guerrillas on September 2, 1945, before the general was flown to Camp John Hay to sign surrender documents on September 3.
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The lawmaker added the public holiday that would give more meaning to Yamashita’s surrender. This event marks a victory for the numerous Filipino soldiers who bravely fought and sacrificed their lives for the country.
