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CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu and the rest of the country will enjoy two successive long weekends starting this week, after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared April 6, a Monday, as a holiday.
Pursuant to her “holiday economics,” Arroyo declared April 6 a holiday since Araw ng Kagitingan, which recalls the bravery of World War II veterans, would fall on Holy Thursday.
This is contained in Proclamation 1699, which lists down all holidays for 2009.
There will be only two working days next week, Tuesday (April 7) and Wednesday (April 8).
Thursday and Friday are regular holidays as part of the Catholics’ commemoration of the Lenten season.
Cebu City Acting Mayor Michael Rama met with department heads and local officials to prepare for the long holiday next week.
“All the employees are reminded to turn off the lights and air condition inside the offices,” he said.
The Barangay Intelligence Network (BIN) volunteers will be the skeletal force of the city during the holidays.
Rama reminded staff to observe the no-smoking ordinance in all public offices.
The order came in the wake of the fire in the garbage chute of the Legislative building last week.
The chute was filled with paper, campaign stickers, an ash tray and some cigarette butts.
Rama likewise urged City Hall employees to pray for the successful recovery of Mayor Osmeña who left for the United States last Saturday for surgery on April 6 to remove his urinary bladder. /Correspondent Jully Venus Cuizon with a report from Inquirer
