By Alex A. Lumaque
ROXAS CITY, Capiz – A legacy exhibit on Pres. Manuel A. Roxas will open April 15, at the “Ang Panublion Museum” here.
The exhibit is a tribute on the 75th death anniversary of the province’s most illustrious son.
The opening of the exhibit will follow a wreath laying rites at the Pres. Manuel A. Roxas monument, a few meters away from the museum.
In 2003, Republic Act No. 9217 or the President Manuel A. Roxas Memorial Day Act was signed by Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo after a consolidated House Bill No. 4472 and Senate Bill No. 2421 was finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The law assigns the nearest Friday to April 15 of every year as a special non-working holiday in the entire province of Capiz and city. This year, April 14 will be observed as the local holiday to give the people a chance to ponder on the unselfish acts of Roxas.
It was principally authored by then Capiz 1st District Rep. Rodriguez Dadivas for Capiceños to reminisce the life, ideals and principles espoused by the late president.
Roxas, fondly called as Manoling, was the first bar topnotcher from the University of the Philippines (UP) and was elected Capiz governor at age 27 in 1919.
He also served as the province’s first congressional district representative and senator before elected as the country’s highest ranking official from 1946 until his untimely death on April 15, 1948.
The death anniversary of Roxas also marks the foundation day of Capiz by virtue of Act No. 115 issued in 1901. (PIA)
