Celebrating the Filipino Family: Vice Mayor Bebot Rodriguez Pushes for 'Adlaw sa Pamilya' Holiday

FAMILY is at the heart of Filipino culture, serving as the foundation where values, traditions, and cultural practices are passed from one generation to the next. In fact, the 2019 World Values Survey revealed that more than 98 percent of adult Filipinos consider their family to be “very important.” This sentiment is deeply ingrained in the nation's identity, with the Philippine Constitution itself recognizing the family as the “foundation of the nation” (Section 1, Article XV) and affirms the State’s duty to protect and strengthen it (Section 12, Article II).

Despite this, the pressures of modern life—busy work schedules, long commutes, and various responsibilities—often make it difficult for many families to spend meaningful time together. While the desire for family bonding remains strong, the reality is that time spent with loved ones frequently falls victim to the demands of daily life. 

Recognizing the central role families play in our lives, Presidential Proclamation No. 60 of 1992 designates the last week of September each year as National Family Week. This initiative aims to spotlight and promote the significance of family across the nation.

Photo credits: VM Bebot Rodriguez official Facebook page

In Cagayan de Oro, Vice Mayor Bebot Rodriguez is taking this advocacy a step further. Through a proposed ordinance, she seeks to declare the last Friday of September as "Adlaw sa Pamilya", a special non-working holiday for all local government offices in the city. The ordinance also encourages national government offices and private establishments within Cagayan de Oro to observe this holiday, providing employees the chance to spend meaningful time with their families. 

For Vice Mayor Bebot, family is not only a source of strength but also the most important and precious gift from God. She believes that strong families are the foundation of strong communities, and she hopes that by proposing a local holiday, she can inspire families in Cagayan de Oro to make time for one another, ensuring that the essence of Filipino family values is not only celebrated but lived out.