Malacañang declares 2012 holidays

Manila - Philippine President Benigno C. Aquino has already declared the regular and special holidays for the year 2012.  Signed on November 24, 2011, Presidential Proclamation 295 sets sixteen (16) holidays for 2012; ten regular, five special non-working and one special holiday.            At least six long weekends are expected by Filipinos in 2012.

           

In a press statement, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that Presidential Proclamation 295 was issued as early as November 2011 to guide the public on their business schedules vacation and other plans for 2012. He however admitted that the government may no longer apply, except in some cases, the holiday economics wherein holidays were shifted to the nearest Mondays.

           

The first special holiday for 2012 is the celebration of the Chinese New Year which falls on Monday, January 23 which was not originally part of the 2011 Philippine holidays, was declared to show solidarity to the Chinese Filipino communities who have been part of the Filipinos lives in many respect as a country.

           

            Presidential Proclamation 295 sets the following regular and special holidays for the year 2012:         

A. Regular Holidays

            New Year’s Day                                             January 1 (Sunday)

            Maundy Thursday                                         April 5

            Good Friday                                                   April 6

            Araw ng Kagitingan                                      April 9 (Monday)

            Labor Day                                                      May 1 (Tuesday)

            Independence Day                                         June 12 (Tuesday)

            National Heroes Day                                     August 27 (Last Monday of August)

            Bonifacio Day                                                 November 30 (Friday)

            Christmas Day                                               December 25 (Tuesday)

            Rizal Day                                                        December 30 (Sunday)

            B. Special (Non-Working Days)

            Chinese New Year                                         January 23 (Monday)

            Ninoy Aquino Day                                        August 21 (Tuesday)

            All Saints Day                                                            November 1 (Thursday)

            Additional special (non-working) day         November 2 (Friday)

            Last Day of the Year                                      December 31 (Monday)

            C. Special Holiday (for all schools)

            EDSA Revolution Anniversary                     February 25 (Saturday)

           

The Proclamations declaring Eid’d Fitr and Eidul Adha shall be released after the dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined in accordance with the Islamic Calendar or upon Islamic astronomical calculations.

           

On the other hand, labor groups expressed concern for workers who are paid on a no work-no-pay basis whose incomes will be greatly affected by the numerous holidays. Arman Brioso Perez of BayanMuna said that these workers do not benefit at all from these holidays. “Daily earners are forced to take odd jobs during long holidays just to cope with the skyrocketing of prices of basic communities. Only the tourism industry benefits from this. Holidays are just for the well-off families”, he added.