Bill seeks to make day of hearts a holiday

MANILA, Philippines - An administration lawmaker wants Valentine’s Day to be more than passion and romance, by making Feb. 14 a national holiday focused on celebrating family values.

Cebu City Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa has filed House Bill 5435 through which he seeks to institutionalize the celebration of familial ties and encourage strengthening of the family by adding Feb.14 to the list of national holidays.

“Instead of making Feb. 14 a day about just passion and romance, why not celebrate an even greater, deeper and more stable kind of love that is indiscriminate, unselfish and which many Filipinos value most – the love for family,” Abellanosa said.

“The family, after all, is the microcosm of society,” he added.

He said the proposed national holiday, if approved, would be a constant reminder to the country that families should work together in building the nation.

“We should work towards policies that support the development of the family unit from economic and social perspectives,” he said. “Strengthening the family unit may well be the key to a stronger nation.”

Religious groups complain Valentine’s Day has become excessively commercialized and associated with unrestrained passion and illicit relationships.