August 20, 2007: Holiday ba?

[_Qwerty_]

dapat merge na lang don sa isang thread..

Republic of the Philippines
Congress of the Philippines
Metro Manila
Thirteenth Congress
Third Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-fourth day of July, two thousand and six.

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[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9492 ]

AN ACT RATIONALIZING THE CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL HOLIDAYS AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 26, CHAPTER 7, BOOK I OF EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 292, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF 1987

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 26, Chapter 7, Book I of Executive Order No. 292, as amended, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987, is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 26, Regular Holidays and Nationwide Special Days. – (1) Unless otherwise modified by law, and or proclamation, the following regular holidays and special days shall be observed in the country:

Regular Holidays
New year’s Day - January 1
Maundy Thursday - Movable date
Good Friday - Movable date
Eidul Fitr - Movable date
Araw ng Kagitingan - Monday nearest April 9
(Bataaan and Corregidor Day)
Labor Day - Monday nearest May 1
Independence Day - Monday nearest June 12
National Heroes Day - Last Monday of August
Bonifacio Day - Monday nearest November 30
Christmas Day - December 25
Rizal Day - Monday nearest December 30

b) Nationwide Special Holidays:

Ninoy Aquino Day - Monday nearest August 21
All Saints Day - November 1
Last Day of the Year - December 31

In the event the holiday falls on a Wednesday, the holiday will be observed on the Monday of the week. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the holiday will be observed on the Monday that follows:
Provided, That for movable holidays, the President shall issue a proclamation, at least six months prior to the holiday concerned, the specific date that shall be declared as a nonworking day:

Provided, however, The Eidul Adha shall be celebrated as a regional holiday in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao."

SEC. 2. All laws, orders, presidential issuances, rules and regulations or part thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

(Sgd.) JOSE DE VENECIA JR.
(Sgd.) MANNY VILLAR

Speaker of the House of Representatives
President of the Senate


This Act which originated in the Senate was finally passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on January 30, 2007 and February 7, 2007, respectively.

(Sgd.) ROBERTO P. NAZARENO
(Sgd.) OSCAR G. YABES

Secretary General House of Representatives
Secretary of the Senate


Approved: July 25, 2007

(Sgd.)GLORIA MACAPAGAL – ARROYO

President of the Philippines

[HIFI]

Thank you for all your replies, especially those who gave specifics on RA9492.

There is no question that August 21 is a non-working holiday. My inquiry was about getting confirmation whether it will move to August 20 due to the Holiday Economics policy.

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Holiday economics now a law

Inquirer

July 25, 2007

MANILA, Philippines -- Holiday economics, or the practice of shifting holiday observances, is now official government policy after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Republic Act 9492 into law.

The law, “an act rationalizing the celebration of holidays,” mandates that most holidays, except those with religious significance, will be shifted to the nearest Monday, said Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita who announced the new law Wednesday.

Thus, next month, Ninoy Aquino Day, which celebrates the martyred anti-Marcos opposition leader, normally celebrated on August 21, a Tuesday, will shift to the preceding Monday, August 20.

National Heroes’ Day, celebrated on August 31, will be observed every last Monday of August, which this year falls on August 27.

“Therefore, we have two long weekends for the month of August,” said Ermita.

The “moveable days” are Bataan Day (April 9), Labor Day (1 May), Independence Day (June 12), National Heroes Day (August 31), Bonifacio Day (November 30) and Rizal Day (December 30).

Thus, if Independence Day, June 12, falls on a weekend, it will be celebrated on the following Monday. The same principle applies if June 12 falls on any day except Monday.

Exempted from holiday economics -- that is, holidays that will be observed on the date on which they fall -- are Christmas Day (December 25), New Year’s Eve (December 31), New Year’s Day (January 1), Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Eid’l Fitre (October 13) and All Saints Day (November 1).

“Good Friday, you cannot move it to Saturday. Christmas Day, December 25, how can you change the birthday of Jesus Christ? Christmas is Christmas,” said Ermita.

The President, who coined the term holiday economics, introduced the policy in 2001 to reduce disruption to business and production schedules, encourage domestic tourism and give employees long weekends.

Critics questioned the soundness of the policy, saying it would result in lower output and affect economic productivity. Others deplored it as presidential tinkering with history via executive fiat.

But National Statistical Coordination Board figures showed that if tourism businesses and related industries increased by 10 percent as a result of the long weekends, the economy would actually experience a 3.5-percent growth in gross domestic product.

Under the country’s labor laws, employers must pay 200 percent of the daily rate to those employees who report for work on legal holidays -- January 1, April 9, May 1, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, June 12, National Heroes Day, Eid’l Fitre, November 30, Christmas Day and December 30.

On special holidays, employers must pay 30 percent over the regular rate. These are Ninoy Aquino Day, November 1, election day, November 30, Black Saturday and holidays that may be declared from time to time by the President. Michael Lim Ubac