March 27 2017 declared holiday in San Juan City
The people of San Juan City will be celebrating its 110th annual foundation day anniversary this March 27. “Araw ng San Juan” is a special non-working holiday in that part of Metro Manila as mandated in Republic Act (RA) 7669.
The holiday will effectively give those working or studying in San Juan a three-day weekend because it falls on a Monday. RA 7669 became law in 1994, during the term of then-President Fidel Ramos. The full text of the said law can be accessed in this link.
San Juan became an independent municipality through Philippine Commission Act 1625 which was enacted in March 27, 1907. The Philippine Commission served as a unicameral legislative body during the first two decades of American colonization. The Filipino Scribe has obtained a copy of the said historical document, and it can be read below this post.
It took 100 years before San Juan was converted from a municipality into a city because of problems like unstable population and limited income – the main factors considered when municipalities apply for cityhood.
San Juan’s bid to become a city moved full speed ahead during the term of Mayor Joseph Victor (JV) Ejercito, who pledged as early as 2001 that San Juan will achieve cityhood during his tenure.
San Juan’s city charter, also known as RA 9388, passed both houses of Congress in early 2007. Residents of San Juan overwhelmingly voted in favor of the charter in a plebiscite held later that year.
San Juan is best known to be the home town of Ejercito’s father, former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada. The current Mayor is Guia Gomez, JV’s mother and one of Estrada’s life partners.
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