News update Noynoy wants holiday law changed

If President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III would have his way, the Philippine Independence Day would be celebrated on June 12 and on no other day.

His predecessor, former President Gloria Arroyo, signed in 2007 Republic Act 9492, also known as “An Act Rationalizing the Celebration of National Holidays," which moves the celebration of non-religious holidays to the nearest Monday.

Aquino frowns upon the fact that Independence Day was not celebrated on June 12 in recent years, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

Independence Day commemorates the time when Filipinos proclaimed the country’s sovereignty and independence from the colonial rule of on June 12, 1898.

“Hindi niya nagustuhan na nililipat-lipat ang araw ng Independence Day. It will not be moved anymore, so that June 12 will stick as June 12. We will discuss that with the President,… then appropriate actions can be taken," Lacierda said.

He added that Aquino thinks June 12 is a “sacred day" that must not be moved just for economic benefits.

“You don’t move Independence Day. You cannot allow the facility of saving on time and all that because it’s a special day. When you move Independence Day, you (also) move the sense of nationhood," he said.

Arroyo signed RA 9492 based on the “holiday economics" principle, which states that long weekends encourage domestic tourism and r