Christmas Day (25th) was on a Thursday, so Friday (26th) was declared a ?special non-working holiday? (SNWH). Rizal Day (30th) fell on a Tuesday, so Monday (29th) was declared another SNWH. New Year?s Day was on another Thursday, so Wednesday (31st) and Friday (January 2, 2009) were declared SNWHs as well.

The result was that except for the big malls and grocery stores, the country was practically shut down from December 25, 2008 through January 2, 2009. This stands out as another Philippine oddity: most people have lost their respect for holidays, even religious ones; malls open half-day even on Christmas Day and New Year.

The total official holidays for 2008 was 15 days: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, April 9 (Fall of Bataan), Labor Day (May 1), Independence Day (June 9, moved from June 12), Ninoy Aquino Day (August 21), National Heroes Day (August 25), All Saints? Day (November 1), Bonifacio Day (December 1, moved from November 30), Christmas Day, Rizal Day, plus December 26, 29, 31 and the end of Ramadan. In addition, the poor daily workers lost a few days due to typhoons.

Here?s what I propose to minimize the number of holidays, to increase productivity:

Eliminate these holidays: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Fall of Bataan, Rizal Day.

Grounds: These three holidays only accentuate the Filipino sentimental, melodramatic and defeatist culture. The death and resurrection of Christ should be celebrated together on Easter Sunday and on every Lord?s Day. And why celebrate the surrender of Bataan (and formerly of Corregidor) and the execution of the national hero?

Combine these holidays into one day: Bonifacio Day (birthday – November 30) and Ninoy Aquino Day (birthday – November 27) should be combined into a National Heroes Day (to be celebrated on the last Monday in November); Independence Day and Rizal Day (June 12)

Grounds: These holidays are so close together they should be combined. And what better way is there to celebrate the national hero than celebrating his birthday on the nation?s independence day?

Eliminate Ninoy Aquino Day on August 21 and replace it with a ?Philippine Revolution Day.?

Grounds: Since Aquino?s birthday will be celebrated together with Bonifacio?s birthday on the last Monday in November, there is no need for another Ninoy Aquino Day. I propose instead a ?Philippine Revolution Day? on the last Monday in August to commemorate the start of the Philippine Revolution with the Cry of Pugadlawin on August 23, 1896. This holiday would inculcate something that is lacking in the Filipino consciousness: the rich heritage of the Philippine Revolution.

Bottom line, the following is my suggested 9-day holiday schedule, assuming that Rizal Day is still celebrated, a huge improvement from the 15 holidays in 2008:

New Year (January 1)
Labor Day (May 1)
Independence Day (June 12)
Rizal Day (3rd Monday in June)
Philippine Revolution Day (last Monday in August)
End of Ramadan (variable)
All Saints? Day (November 1)
National Heroes Day (last Monday in November)
Christmas (December 25)

And here are a few other food for thought:

* Why not move Independence Day to January 21, to celebrate the real inauguration of the First Philippine Republic by the First Philippine Congress in Malolos, Bulacan in 1899? We can cite as a parallel to this the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress of the United States on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence read on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite, on the other hand, was written by a single individual, and signed by 98 individuals, not ratified by a congress in session.

* I?m also for changing the national hero from Rizal to Bonifacio. Rizal may be a genius and a reformer, but he was not a leader of the Philippine Revolution. I do not know of any country in the world that has for its national hero one who was adamantly against a revolution for independence. He disowned it in a manifesto, ?From the very beginning, when I first had notice of what was being planned, I opposed it, fought it, and demonstrated its absolute impossibility.? The case could be made that he was a traitor to his countrymen during the last days of his life, when he volunteered to serve as a doctor in the Spanish army in Cuba to avoid being implicated in the revolution. His move was in vain, because he was nevertheless implicated and arrested on his way to Cuba, taken back to Manila, and executed.

* However, if his execution is to be ?celebrated,? it could be held on January 1, since it is very close to New Year?s Day.

* The Balintawak Monument should be renovated to make it at least as beautiful, dignified and signified as the Rizal Monument at the Luneta Park.

* Finally, the most dimwitted holiday of all was when the Independence Day holiday was moved to June 9, Monday, because June 12, the real day, fell on a Thursday! In the U. S., there would be a revolution if, for example, the Independence Day holiday in 2007 was moved from July 4th (Wednesday) to July 2nd (Monday).

there are some private and government employees having work on the 24th of december [halfday or whole day]. aslo, in the case of january 2, it’s up to the employer if it will declared it as special non-working day.
for public and private schools, classes will resume on the 5th day of january next year.

me too, wanna have longer vacation… but it also depends to my employer…