Holidays in the Philippines for 2011

I purposely ignored Proclamation No. 84 when it came out, knowing that I would not be able to take much leave this year.  But why does President Noy have to scrap the holiday of economics observed by the previous administration?  If there is any valuable legacy she left, that should have been it!  Politics aside, the holiday of economics is observed by several countries to give a boost to its local tourism industry; it's not all too bad for businessmen as long as it is announced long beforehand.

As a result of this proclamation, aside from Holy Week and last day of the year, it leaves us with only one long weekend, that is August 27 to 29.  Sigh, it's going to be a looooong year.  Anyway here's the full text of Proclamation No. 84 declaring the holidays in the Philippines for year 2011:

-o-

MALACAÑAN PALACE

MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROCLAMATION NO. 84

DECLARING THE REGULAR HOLIDAYS, SPECIAL (NON-WORKING) DAYS, AND SPECIAL HOLIDAY (FOR ALL SCHOOLS) FOR THE YEAR 2011

WHEREAS, Republic Act (RA) No. 9492, dated July 24, 2007, amended Section 26, Chapter 7, Book I of Executive Order (EO) No. 292, also known as the Administrative Code of 1987, by declaring certain days (specific or movable) as special or regular holidays;

WHEREAS, RA No. 9492 provides that holidays, except those which are religious in nature, are moved to the nearest Monday unless otherwise modified by law, order or proclamation;

WHEREAS, RA No. 9849 provides that the Eidul Adha shall be celebrated as a national holiday;

WHEREAS, the EDSA People Power Revolution, which restored and ushered political, social and economic reforms in the country, serves as an inspiration to Filipinos everywhere as a nation and as a people;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BENIGNO S. AQUINO III, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution as President of the Philippines, do hereby declare:

SECTION 1. The following regular holidays and special days for the year 2011 shall be observed in the country:

A. Regular Holidays

• New Year’s Day – January 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 – August 29 (Last Monday of August)
• Bonifacio Day – November 30 (Wednesday)
• Christmas Day – December 25 (Sunday)
• Rizal Day – December 30 (Friday)

B. Special (Non-Working) Days

• Ninoy Aquino Day – August 21 (Sunday)
• All Saints Day – November 1 (Tuesday)
• Last Day of the Year – December 31 (Saturday)

C. Special Holiday (for all schools)

• EDSA Revolution Anniversary – February 25 (Friday)

SECTION 2. The proclamations declaring national holidays for the observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eidul 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.

SECTION 3. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) shall promulgate the implementing guidelines for this Proclamation.

SECTION 4. This Proclamation shall take effect immediately.

SECTION 5. This Proclamation shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 20^th day of December in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Ten.

(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III

By the President:

(Sgd.) PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR.

Executive Secretary