President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a bill declaring September 3 of every year a special working public holiday throughout the country in commemoration of the surrender of the Japanese military forces led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita in Baguio City.

This was contained in Republic Act No. 11216, which Duterte inked on February 14.

The Act shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

On October 30, 2018, Duterte also approved a law declaring September 2 of every year a special non-working holiday in Ifugao province to commemorate Yamashita's surrender in Kiangan, Ifugao. Celerina Monte/DMS