President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared Wednesday August 5, 2009 as a special nonworking holiday to give Filipinos a chance to honor and pay their respects to the late former President Corazon C. Aquino who will be laid to rest that day. The President signed Proclamation No. 1851 in New York City on Saturday and was relayed to the media by Press Secretary Cerge Remonde. The proclamation read as follows:
“I, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law do hereby declare August 5, 2009, Wednesday, to be a special nonworking holiday nationwide in honor of the late former President Corazon C. Aquino.”
Former President Corazon C. Aquino passed Saturday, August 1 at the age of 76. Her long battle against cancer had ended and surely a lot of people will mourn for the loss of their beloved peacemaker.
As president of the Republic of the Philippines (1986-1992), Corazon Cojuangco Aquino led her country's difficult transition from dictatorship to democracy. After re-establishing the democratic institutions, her administration made them work, bringing about substantive economic and social reforms. Through great personal courage and unwavering commitment to non-violence, she successfully served her term in office and presided over the peaceful and orderly transfer of power to her successor President Fidel V. Ramos.
Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who is currently in the United States for a state visit issued a statement that the Philippines will observe 10 days of national mourning. The Armed Forces of the Philippines also said it would accord full military honors during Corazon Aquino's wake, including gun salutes and lowering flags to half-mast. Part of Proclamation No. 1850 read as follows:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, do hereby proclaim the period August 1, 2009 to August 10, 2009, as a period of national mourning for our beloved former President. During this period, flags of all government buildings and installations throughout the Philippines and abroad shall be flown at half-mast.
Rest in peace our dear president. You have left a lasting legacy for all of us Filipinos.
To read more about the the former president, go to corazonaquino.net.
