Holidays

Senate President Francis Escudero said this is a country with too many holidays, which affect our productivity and competitiveness.

Not surprisingly, business groups, the employers themselves, agree. 

Someone from the private sector asked me why I haven’t written about the issue, to which I jested “because I love holidays!” 

In reality, I really don’t get to enjoy these holidays or long weekends because those of us who chose to work in the media, newspapers included, still need to report to work – whether it’s a holiday or not, whether the sky is falling or not, or whether Metro Manila is submerged in floods or not. Hindi natutulog ang balita, as GMA-7 puts it.

Education

Just the same, I agree that yes, we have too many holidays already and I disagree with it mainly for educational reasons. 

Education is disrupted because of too many holidays, add to the fact that classes are sometimes abruptly cancelled during typhoons, heavy rains or flooding. This doesn’t include yet the numerous holidays mandated by the schools themselves.

Thus, Senator Escudero is correct in saying that we shouldn’t add more holidays to the calendar.

I agree and I think the number of holidays is enough. It’s all there and many are for commemorating important dates in the country’s history. 

What’s unwise, out-of-touch and certainly impractical, however, is suddenly moving holidays to maximize long weekend breaks or to boost domestic tourism. 

For many Filipinos, planning for a holiday takes time and preparation. Ordinary citizens need some time to save money for even just a few days off, whether it’s out of town or just for a staycation. 

Thus, it is elitist and out-of-touch to think that Filipinos can suddenly go on long breaks with just a few weeks to plan. 

With prices of basic goods and necessities on the rise, Filipinos would rather use the money for food and medicines than go on a quick vacation. 

As stock market pundit Merkado Barkada said in what he calls a glass empty analysis on the issue, “most of us drones in the corporate world have had to arrange for our leaves months and months in advance, and making this change at the last minute is just another aggravating instance of elitist calendar management that completely ignores how people on the ground (the ones actually doing the work) manage our lives. I’m not even getting into how weird it is to shift a date celebration holiday (which is on Aug. 21 for a specific reason), supposedly in aid of domestic tourism, with just six days’ notice. Why is there always such a lack of foresight? Anyone who has ever arranged an event will know that last-minute shifts in timing are disastrous to participation because people have lives and they need to make plans well in advance. Why not just wait for this holiday to pass and THEN make this shift for future Ninoy Aquino Day recognitions?”

Lucky are those who can afford it. They can plan for their holidays as soon as Malacañang announces it.

Ninoy Aquino Day

However, I disagree with shifting future Ninoy Aquino Day commemorations or any other historically significant Filipino’s day to another date for the sake of holiday economics. 

History is written by the victors, as they say, but whether the victors like it or not, what happened on Aug. 21, 1983 around 1:14 p.m. really happened and it changed the country’s history forever. 

Its significance at the time was that it helped put an end to the Marcos dictatorship. 

The assassination of Aquino, as Randy David said, “emboldened millions of ordinary Filipinos to pour out into the streets...his funeral became the birthplace of people power.”

A bloodless revolution followed years later, putting an end to the dictatorship. 

What happened after – or where we are now more than four decades later – is another story but by commemorating Aquino’s assassination on the day that it happened, we honor history and respect it enough not to rewrite it. 

At best, it also gives us a chance to ponder on where we are now or where we’re heading; what his death changed and what it didn’t; what is left to do to fix our fragile democracy and what social ills are still out there to fight and address.

Thus, while holidays and holiday economics are a welcome respite, it shouldn’t come at the expense of rewriting history or diminishing the importance of significant events – good or bad – in our nation’s journey.

And as I said, abrupt changes affect not just productivity but education and our usual day-to-day routines including schedules, errands, health check-ups, etc. 

Some companies also skirt around the mandatory holiday pay rules which leaves some workers at the losing end. 

For the self-employed and the minimum wage earners, it’s also a challenge to take a break on a few days’ notice.

I once asked a hairdresser if he ever goes on holidays and he replied that he can’t afford it. He would rather spend the time doing home service because his clients summon him during holidays. He appreciates the extra cash.

If that’s the case, I asked him, does he get the chance to take some well-deserved rest?

“Kapag natutulog lang sa gabi,” he said in between laughs. But he wasn’t kidding.

Many Filipinos for sure deserve a break but for some, to go on a holiday or to pause even for just a day, is a luxury they can’t afford. 

*   *   *

Email: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.