President Rodrigo Duterte has declared September 3 as 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.

Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11216 on February 14 regarding the observance of Yamashita's surrender every September 3 of the year.

The Act took 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 nonworking holiday in Ifugao province to commemorate Yamashita's surrender in Kiangan, Ifugao. Celerina Monte/DMS