Rama asks PNoy for Kaplag holiday

The Cebu City government wants Malacañang to declare April 28 an official holiday in the city in line with Kaplag 2015 which commemorates the finding of the “miraculous” image of Sto. Niño de Cebu, 450 years ago.

Mayor Michael Rama said he felt the need to pass the letter to allow Cebuanos to celebrate the rare occasion.

Three days ago, the city councilors first requested the Office of the President to declare April 28 as a non-working holiday. They received no response as of this writing.

Because of this, Rama said he had to write and sign a new request himself.

The city chief executive said there is no reason for President Benigno Aquino III to turn down the request considering that the latter already approved the a similar request from a different group before.

“There is no reason that he cannot give it to us since Sto. Niño has always been focal to our faith as Roman Catholics,” he said.

Rama sent the letter in a form of an electronic mail yesterday.

Aside from the city government, church officials, particularly the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu, will also urge the President to declare Kaplag this year a holiday.

Church officials claim that the dramatic yet providential discovery or “pagkakaplag” of the wooden image of Sto. Niño de Cebu in a partially scorched hut on April 28, 1565 started the distinctive Christian heritage of the Philippines.

The Augustinians who accompanied the journey commenced the systematic evangelization and Christianization of the islands, they added.

The subsequent foundation of the Church and Convent of the Augustinians rose on the actual site where the statuette was found.