Arroyo Mulls Declaring 01022009 as non-working holiday

Arroyo mulls declaring Jan. 2 a non-working holiday


MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo is still undecided on whether or not to declare January 2, 2009 as special non-working holiday.

“I will consult with the labor and business sectors because it has implications on the overtime pay,” President Arroyo said Monday.

She also said they might issue a list of non-working holidays for the whole year of 2009 on January 1, New Year’s Day. - GMANews.TV


Govt reminds public of holiday-pay rules


The government on Monday reiterated that employees are entitled to higher pay for working on the coming holidays (December 25, 30 and January 1) and on special non-working days (December 26, 29 and 31).

Also on Monday, Malacañang officials said the government may also declare January 2, 2009, as a special non-working holiday—but has not made a decision.

For working on regular holidays, employees are entitled to 200 percent of their daily basic wage for the first eight hours, plus an additional 30 percent per hour during overtime, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said in a statement.

For the special non-working days, employees are entitled to 130 percent of their daily rate for the first eight hours and an additional 30 percent per hour during overtime, he added.

Roque said he issued an advisory, consistent with Presidential Proclamation 1463, to circulate the guidelines of pay rules for the regular holidays and non-working days.

Earlier in February, President Gloria Arroyo issued Proclamation 1463 declaring December 26 and 29 as special non-working holidays “in order to enable our countrymen to have a more meaningful observance of Christmas and New Year, to strengthen their ties with one another.”

Roque said that in the same proclamation, the President upheld that Christmas Day and Rizal Day (December 30) are regular holidays, while January 1, as the law dictates, remains a regular holiday.

Palace plan

Also on Monday, President Arroyo said she is mulling over the possibility of declaring January 2, 2009, as special non-working holiday. “I will consult the labor and business sectors, because it has implications on the overtime pay.”

Mrs. Arroyo said it is necessary to know the view of the Labor department and of the employers before deciding whether to declare that date a holiday.

She added she received information that many workers were asking her to declare January 2 as a holiday, so that they could extend their vacation.

The President said she might issue a list of all non-working holidays for 2009 on New Year’s Day.