Malacanang issues Proclamation on the 2018 holidays

July 19, 2017

Filipinos could at least have nine long weekends next year as President Rodrigo Duterte issued a proclamation setting the holidays and special non-working days for 2018. Proclamation No. 269, which Duterte signed on July 17, 2017, listed 10 regular holidays and eight special non-working days for next year. The regular holidays are New Year's Day (January 1 - Monday), Maundy Thursday (March 29), Good Friday (March 30), 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), and Rizal Day (December 30 - Sunday). The special non-working days are: Chinese New Year (February 16 - Friday), EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary (February 25 - Sunday), Black Saturday (March 31), Ninoy Aquino Day (August 21 - Tuesday), All Saints Day (November 1 - Thursday), Last Day of the Year (December 31 - Monday), and additional special non-working days (November 2 - Friday and December 24 -Monday). The national holidays for the observance of Eidul Fitr and Eidul Adha would be issued on separate proclamations after the approximate dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined in accordance with the Islamic calendar or the lunar calendar, or upon the Islamic astronomical calculations, whichever is possible and convenient, the Proclamation read. The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos shall inform the Office of the President of the actual dates on which these Muslim holidays shall respectively fall, it added. Duterte ordered the Department of Labor and Employment to promulgate the implementing guidelines for the Proclamation. (Celerina Monte/DMS)