Cebu City to Mark 79th Charter Day Anniversary

The Queen City of the Philippines will be celebrating its 79th Charter Day Anniversary on February 24 Wednesday this year.

On the Chinese New Year February 8 Monday, the day also of the return to office of Mayor Michael Lopez Rama, the celebration kicked off with the Cebu City Government Family Day 2016 which started with a Thanksgiving Mass led by Most Rev. Jose S. Palma, DD, Archbishop of Cebu.

An Agro-Trade Fair Cum Exhibit that will be held at the Plaza Sugbo which will run for five days from February 15-19 is the next in line among the series of activities lined-up towards the grand celebration.

There will be an Essay Writing Contest on February 17 Wednesday, while the Service Showcase Exhibit featuring the services and achievements of the 22 Departments comprising the city is slated on February 18 to 26 at SM City Cebu.

An “Employee’s Night” also dubbed as “Super Show” will be held on February 19 Friday and the awarding of Outstanding Employees will be done on February 20 Saturday.

The Don Vicente Rama Memorial Lecture is set on February 22 Monday while the Quiz Bowl and awarding of Outstanding Youth Leaders will be on Tuesday February 23.

On the big day February 24, there will be a Holy Mass, Flag-raising Ceremony and Floral Offering to the monument of Don Vicente Rama at the Plaza Sugbo. The “Testimonial Dinner” will be conducted on the same day.

Looking back, it was on February 24, 1937, when the City of Cebu was born by virtue of Commonwealth Act No.58 through the initiative of Don Vicente Rama, the father of Cebu City Charter.

The then municipality of Cebu who was under the Cebu Provincial Government became an independent Chartered City known as “Cebu City”. The celebration will be observed as a holiday in the entire city. (Cebu City Public Information Office PIO/Greggy Jiggs P. Senados)