Senate moves to declare the last Monday of January as National Bible Day

The Senate has passed on third and final reading a bill that sought to declare the last Monday of January as the "National Bible Day,"a special working holiday in celebration of the Christian faith and the values on the Holy Bible.

Senate Bill No. 1270 was approved with 18 affirmative votes, zero negative vote and no abstention.

Senator Manny Pacquiao, the bill's author and sponsor, said that SBN 1270 would allot every last Monday of January as "National Bible Day," which calls for all Christians to "unite altogether and celebrate the Holy Bible as the cradle of human faith."

" Let us this opportunity to spiritually empower the Filipino people to open their hearts for utmost nation-building, unity and solidarity," he said.

The bill was co-sponsored by Senator Francis 'Chiz' Escudero, chair of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture, as well as Senator Joel Villanueva.

"In celebrating this holiday, we pave the way for our fellow Christian to unite and celebrate their faith, which we hope will have a positive impact in our society and in nation building as well," Escudero said.

Pacquiao said that the proposed holiday was necessary for the "betterment of the country through God centered governance and people centered services."

He noted that the Bible, "the Living Truth" has had a positive impact to the lives of Filipinos, noting that the Philippine is known as Asia-Pacific's largest Christian country.

"With the continuous increase in the population of Christinaity in our country, I believe that the National Bible Holiday would become a catalyst that encourages the development of the moral character and spiritual foundation of every Filipino," he said.

Pacquiao noted that the 1987 Constitution itself calls on government "to support efforts to strengthen the ethical and spiritual values and to develop the moral character and spiritual foundation of every Filipino."

He added that the significance of the Holy Bible was recognized by the administrations of former Presidents Ferdinand Marcos, Corazon Aquino, and Fidel Ramos, who all issued proclamations declaring the last week of January every year as "National Bible Week." (MaeJoy Miranda)