Declare March 22 as Aguinaldo Day

Dr. Luisa "Loi" Ejercito Estrada yesterday urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to declare March 22 a special holiday in honor of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the first President of the nation.

"Emilio Aguinaldo’s place in the national pantheon has not been fully recognized. Honoring him on March 22, erecting a national monument in Manila and renaming a major street after him will help rectify the error," Estrada said.

Aguinaldo was born March 22, 131 years ago in Kawit, Cavite. He led the Magdalo wing of the Philippine revolution against Spain and waged a war of independence against a new colonizing power, the United States, beginning 1899.

Apart from proposing a national monument in the capital city, the former first lady revived an old proposal to rename Taft Avenue as Avenida Aguinaldo after the president of the first Philippine Republic.

Dr. Loi said a presidential order could rechristen Taft Avenue as Avenida Aguinaldo. The option is to introduce a bill for the same purpose.

The Iglesia Filipiniana Independiente has also asked Mayor Lito Atienza of Manila to revive a bill that would rename Taft Avenue to Bishop Gregorio Aglipay Avenue. The bill was introduced four years ago by former Rep. Simeon Valdez of Ilocos Norte.