Bill seeks to establish ‘National Thank You Day’

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos may soon spend every October 20 to celebrate the Bayanihan spirit with a "National Thank You Day," if a bill pending in the House of Representatives is passed into law. The proposal is contained in House Bill 5466. "Filipinos are renowned as a people of warm hospitality and respectful of age-old values. This is fostered heavily by our bayanihan spirit," author Rep. Cynthia Villar (Las Piñas City) said in an article on the House Web site (www.congress.gov.ph) She said this is not just a marketing promotional scheme but an idea that should be ingrained in Philippine culture and practiced by generations and generations of Filipinos. Villar cited an international study conducted by Reader's Digest Canada on common courtesies, which checked whether residents of a city still honor and observe gratitude. "The City of Manila ranked number 22 in the study," she said. "The cities of New York in America, Zurich in Switzerland, and Toronto in Canada topped the 'courteous cities list." Under the bill, October 20 shall be a "celebration of the Filipino bayanihan spirit of according respect for the elders, warm hospitality and distinctive courtesy, and a commitment that thePhilippines takes pride in its age-old respectful values," Villar said. - GMANews.TV