GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 4 Sep)—Local officials here on the opposite sides of the political spectrum traded barbs over the non-inclusion of the city in a September 2024 list of towns and cities with special non-working holidays as proclaimed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
This city is currently celebrating the annual week-long Tuna Festival that culminates on Thursday, September 5, to mark the 56th anniversary of its cityhood and city residents were anticipating a usual non-working holiday in the city of about 700,000 residents.
Earlier, Malacañang released a list of dozen localities in the country that were granted their request for holiday this month, among them areas in neighboring provinces—the municipalities of Polomolok and Tupi in South Cotabato, Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat, and Digos City in Davao del Sur. General Santos City is not on the list.
In an August 27 letter from Malacañang, Deputy Executive Secretary Anna Liza Logan informed Vice Mayor Rosalita Nuñez, the presiding officer of the city legislative council, that their request to declare Sept. 5 a non-working day in General Santos came late and “could no longer be processed.”
Logan cited Memorandum Order 20 issued on February 27, 2024, requiring all requests for issuance of presidential proclamation for non-working days be submitted and received by their office no less than 30 days before the special day.
The request by the city council was received only on Aug. 21, she said.
On Sept. 2, the city’s legislative council posted on its social media page a copy of Logan’s letter and a letter by Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao dated Aug. 8 requesting the city council to request for the issuance of a presidential proclamation, declaring September 5 as a non-working day in General Santos.
The social media post, which carried the title “Alang sa Kasayuran sa Tanan,” was an apparent move to pass the blame for the delay to the city’s chief executive, said city administrator Franklin Gacal.
Gacal said “sa post ng SP official page, sinisisi nito ang City Mayor kung bakit denied ang request na maging holiday ang Sept 5.”
They are making it appear that since the city mayor made the request in a letter only on Aug. 8, it failed to make the 30-day required deadline, he added.
Gacal, a veteran city alderman before his new post, pointed out that ever since, it has been the role of the city council to pass a resolution seeking a presidential proclamation for special non-working days in the city.
“Hindi na dapat hintayin ng SP ang sulat ng Mayor para ipasa nila ang resolution requesting the declaration of a holiday. Matic na dapat,” he said on his social media post.
He said when General Santos Rep. Ton Acharon was the vice mayor, that was what he did.
Gacal said mayor Pacquiao wrote a letter to the city council purposely to check if the council already made a request.
He said, however, the mayor has asked Malacañang for a reconsideration for GenSan to have Sept. 5 a special non-working day.
Gacal, Pacquiao and Acharon belong to one political party while Nuñez and several councilors are with a different political group.
“Naunsa na man ning atong mga lider, pulos na lang bangi sa pulitika napasagdan ang holiday,” opined Jun Gaerlan, a tuna canning worker.
“Maayo unta holiday aron doble suweldo,” he said.
Gaerlan apparently got his wish. The LGU GenSan: Tatak Heneral Facebook page, which is run by the City Public Information Office, posted at 10:29 a.m. on Wednesday a copy of Proclamation No. 679, dated Sept. 2, declaring Sept. 5 “a special (non-working) day” in GenSan. It was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin “by authority of the President.” (Rommel G. Rebollido / MindaNews)
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