MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino issued Proclamation 84 yesterday declaring the holidays in 2011 and removing the Arroyo administration’s practice of moving the holiday to the nearest Monday to have long weekends.
Republic Act 9492 declared certain days (specific or movable) as special or regular holidays and provided that holidays, except those religious in nature, are moved to the nearest Monday unless otherwise modified by law, order or proclamation.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Eduardo de Mesa said it was within the President’s prerogative to move “holidays that are movable” to the nearest Monday or not.
“That is within his discretion,” De Mesa said.
Under Aquino’s proclamation, the following are the holidays for next year.
A. RegularHolidays
New Year’s Day – Jan. 1 (Saturday)
Araw ng Kagitingan – April 9 (Saturday)
Maundy Thursday – April 21 Good Friday – April 22
Labor Day – May 1 (Sunday) Independence Day – June 12 (Sunday)
National Heroes Day – Aug. 29 (Last Monday of August)
Bonifacio Day – Nov. 30 (Wednesday)
Christmas Day – Dec. 25 (Sunday)
Rizal Day – Dec. 30 (Friday)
B. Special (Non-Working) Days
Ninoy Aquino Day – Aug. 21 (Sunday)
All Saints’ Day – Nov. 1 (Tuesday)
Last Day of the Year – Dec. 31 (Saturday)
C. Special Holiday (for all schools)
EDSA Revolution Anniversary – Feb. 25 (Friday)
CI. RA 9849 provides that the Eid’l Adha shall be celebrated as a national holiday.
The proclamations declaring national holidays for the observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eid’l Adha shall hereafter be issued after the approximate dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined in accordance with the Islamic calendar (Hijra) or the lunar calendar, or upon Islamic astronomical calculations, whichever is possible or convenient. To this end, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) shall inform the Office of the President on which day the holiday shall fall.