House OKs bill declaring November 8 ‘Yolanda Commemoration Day’ in Eastern Visayas

The House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading the measure declaring November 8 of every year a special non-working holiday in Eastern Visayas in commemoration of the day Super Typhoon Yolanda struck in 2013.

With a unanimous 213 affirmative votes, the chamber approved House Bill 4960, principally authored by husband and wife Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and Tingog Sinirangan party-list Representative Yedda Marie Romualez, both from the province of Leyte.

Under the bill, November 8 of every year is declared a special non-working holiday in Tacloban City and in the provinces of Leyte, Biliran, Southern Leyte, Northern Samar, (Western) Samar and Eastern Samar.

This, the bill said, is "to honor the memory of all who perished during the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) on November 8, 2013."

Declaring November 8 a holiday in the region is also a way "to salute the selflessness of all volunteers and organizations that took part and contributed in the recovery and rehabilitation efforts of the communities affected by the typhoon."

More than 6,000 people died and over 28,000 others were injured in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

The damage brought about by the typhoon was estimated to be around P89 billion. —LDF,GMA News