QuestionsQuestions (Republic Act No. 9442)
It is issued pursuant to the President’s constitutional powers and in relation to RA No. 9492 (2007), which rationalizes the celebration of national holidays by allowing modifications of holiday schedules through law, orders, or proclamations.
Proclamation No. 90 amends Proclamation No. 42 (s. 2022). Proclamation No. 42 originally declared the regular holidays and special (non-working) days for the year 2023.
The proclamation cites the principle of “holiday economics,” stating that a longer weekend encourages domestic travel and increases tourism expenditures.
Because New Year’s Day (January 1, 2023) falls on a Sunday; January 2 (Monday) was declared so Filipinos can still observe the occasion with family and relatives, consistent with Filipino tradition.
Araw ng Kagitingan is a regular holiday commemorated on April 9, but since it fell on a Sunday in 2023, April 10 (Monday nearest April 9) was declared as a non-working holiday in lieu of April 9, while preserving the historical significance.
Bonifacio Day (November 30) fell on a Thursday. The proclamation declared November 27, 2023 (the Monday nearest November 30) as a non-working holiday, and declared November 30, 2023 as a working day.
The regular holidays include: New Year’s Day (1 January, Sunday), Araw ng Kagitingan (10 April, Monday nearest April 9), Labor Day (1 May, Monday), Independence Day (12 June, Monday), National Heroes Day (28 August, last Monday of August), Bonifacio Day (27 November, Monday nearest November 30), Christmas Day (25 December, Monday), and Rizal Day (30 December, Saturday).
EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary (25 February, Saturday); Black Saturday (8 April); Ninoy Aquino Day (21 August, Monday); All Saints’ Day (1 November, Wednesday); Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary (8 December, Friday); and Last Day of the Year (31 December, Sunday).
January 2 (Monday) and November 2 (Thursday) are declared as additional special (non-working) days.
No. It lists Maundy Thursday (6 April) and Good Friday (7 April) as regular holidays for 2023 as amended in the amended section, without reclassifying them as special days.
Section 2 states that all other provisions of Proclamation No. 42 that were not amended remain unchanged, valid, and existing.
It takes effect immediately (Section 3) and must be published in a newspaper of general circulation (Section 4).
A non-working holiday means work is generally not required, consistent with its classification as a special or additional special (non-working) day in the proclamation and with relevant labor rules on holiday observance.
It implies that while the observance day may be moved to optimize a longer weekend, the historical/national significance must be maintained—explicitly stated for Araw ng Kagitingan.
It signals that holiday schedules may be adjusted so that the non-working day is shifted to the nearest Monday, and the originally scheduled date (Nov. 30) may be treated as a working day, requiring compliance with the proclamation’s specific working/non-working designation.