June 24 declared special non-working holiday in Manila

President Arroyo has declared Friday, June 24, a special non-working holiday in Manila as city officials and residents, led by Mayor Lito Atienza, hold day-long activities to mark the 434th Araw ng Maynila.

In issuing Proclamation 857, the President noted that June 24th is traditionally commemorated as "the founding of the city as the premier Christian City of Asia."

The day begins with a Thanksgiving Mass at 7 a.m. at the Escolta Wharf followed by wreathlaying rites, presided by the mayor at the tomb of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros.

Atienza will also lay a wreath in honor of Rajah Sulayman at the park named after him across the Roxas Boulevard Baywalk.

The mayor and other officials are also scheduled to inaugurate the New Bulwagang Rodriguez at the second floor of Manila City Hall at 11:30 a.m.

To cap the day’s events, Atienza will join residents and city officials in watching a colorful fireworks display at 8 p.m. at the Baywalk.

For the benefit of other city residents, a simultaneous fireworks display will also take place along the Pasig River at the Escolta Wharf.

Grilla in Manila

From June 22 to 26, a barbecue festival dubbed "Grilla in Manila" would be held by the Escolta riverside, which would soon be known as the Riverwalk.

Atienza yesterday told The STAR that since they have succeeded in establishing the Baywalk as a primary destination for nighttime entertainment, it was time they focus their effort in developing other parts of the city as local and tourist attraction sites.

He said the selling of barbecue and grilled food at the Riverwalk would start from 5 p.m. until midnight for five days. If the festival turns out to be a success after the five-day run, they would make it a regular feature on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The festival is one of the highlights of the city’s 434th anniversary of Araw ng Maynila.

To make the event more attractive to the public, the local government spruced up the riverbank with tiles, while other government agencies have taken charge of dredging the waterway.

"We are now in the process of inviting all those in the barbecue business, even those based in the provinces, to participate in our festival. We will sell all types of grilled food from the most common isaw, to chicken, bangus and squid," Atienza said.

The mayor assured motorists that the activity would not result in heavy traffic.

"We have studied the flow of traffic along Escolta and it is very light after office hours," he said. — Evelyn Macairan