Proem

Last Sunday I was wondering whether President Arroyo will transfer the celebration of Christmas from a Thursday to a Monday (Dec. 22).

My good friend Mr. Felix Mejorada of the Office of the Governor sent me a copy of Presidential Proclamation No. 1463 listing the holidays for year 2008. I have some interesting observations taken from the listing and comments of Mr. Mejorada.

Legal Provision

R.A. 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."

In this connection, Presidential Proclamation No. 1463 was issued on Feb. 18, 2008 detailing the different holidays for this year.

The Reason

R.A. 9492 and Pres. Proc. No. 1463 were issued in order to implement the "Economic Holidays" concept of President Arroyo. The rationale is to make the Filipinos enjoy a long weekend and possibly travel to other places.

The word economic comes from the Greek word Oikonomia, which means household management. The modern meaning refers to the production, distribution, and use of income and wealth.

Dec. 25, Where's The Economic?

According to Proclamation No. 1463, December 25 (Thursday) is a non-working holiday. In addition, Dec. 26 (Friday) and Dec. 29 (Monday) is also declared as special non-working holidays.

Therefore the following are non-working days: 1) Dec. 25 1. (Thursday), 2. Dec. 26 (Special), 3. Dec. 27 (Saturday), 4. Dec. 28 (Sunday), 5. Dec. 29 (Special), 6. Dec. 30 (Rizal Day), Dec. 31 (Special), 8. Jan. 1 (New Year: Thursday).

These are eight (8) non-working days. Since January 2, 2009 is a Friday and "sandwiched" with a Saturday, I doubt if it would be a working day. (Note: These are not included in the Proclamation because it is already year 2009).

If 2 January becomes a holiday, then we will have eleven (11) straight non-working days. Whew!

What will happen to the economy? Eight (8) or possibly eleven (11) non-working days will be difficult for the economy. The banking system will be at a standstill and businessmen could not transact business. If factories and firms will open on these non-working days, they will be forced to pay double the salary of a regular working day.

I could not see how this very long weekend of 8 days or possibly 11 days be a benefit to the economy. I doubt if an ATM machine could still provide cash without being replenished for 8 days or possibly 11 days. Therefore those who are traveling would have nowhere to obtain money.

In Bohol

In Bohol we have two holidays that are already declared by law, they are the Bohol Day on July 22 and July 1 as the Charter Day of the City of Tagbilaran. These are not affected by Proclamation No. 1463. I wonder what happens to Nov. 4, the Pres. Garcia Day in Bohol. It is usually celebrated as a holiday.

Not Truly International

The usual reason why some holidays are not moved is because they are celebrated worldwide. In the Philippines, May 1 is celebrated as "Labor Day." Take note that May 1 is the day celebrated by socialist countries. In the United States and Canada, Labor Day is celebrated on the 1st Monday of September since the year 1894.

New Year is not celebrated on January 1 by the Chinese. Their New Year is somewhere in the first week of February. Easter Sunday for the Christian Orthodox Church of Greece, the Balkan regions and Russia is computed differently from the Roman Catholic Church.

Christmas on December 25 is not celebrated by the Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and other non-Christian religions and there are billions of them.

Lastly let me have this observation, we did not celebrate the birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal on June 19. It is "normal" in the Philippines to celebrate the death or defeat but not the birth and victory of heroes. We celebrate Rizal Day on December 30, the date when he died.