Prohibition of work on Sundays and holidays

Section 2 provides that, except as otherwise provided, no construction or repair of any building or other kind of structure and no public works whatsoever shall be undertaken on such holidays.
Section 2 fixes the prohibited time as the same period of time stated in Section 1 (from 12:00 midnight to 12:00 midnight).

Section 3 excepts the following establishments and undertakings from the prohibitions in the Act:
- Hospitals, dispensaries, medical and dental clinics, drug stores
- Stevedoring and arrastre
- Public utilities, including loading and unloading of cargoes
- Finishing and curing of fish
- Cattle raising and dairy
- Poultry
- Amusement enterprises
- Printing and sale of periodicals
- Government and private telecommunications
- Activity connected with the embalming and burial of persons
- Domestic service
- Driving vehicles
- Restaurants or eating and/or drinking establishments
- Markets, fairs, “talipapas”, “tiangues”, and “saods” or “tabos”
Section 3 imposes a specific limitation on Holy Thursday and Good Friday: no cockfighting, Jai Alai games or horse racing shall be held on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
Section 3 also restricts Holy Thursday and Good Friday: non-religious motion picture exhibitions or theatrical performances shall not be made on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

Section 4 authorizes the Secretary of Labor to broaden the exceptions under Section 3 when the work is not susceptible of interruption or is so indispensable that it cannot be delayed without causing serious prejudice or obstruction to the business of a particular enterprise or establishment.
Section 4 provides that actions by the Secretary of Labor under this authority are appealable.
Section 4 allows the appeal to be filed by the aggrieved party or any resident of the Philippines to the President of the Philippines.

Section 5 allows emergency-related, peremptory work to proceed via written permits.
Section 5 provides that, in cases of emergency when performance of a particular work is peremptory, the following may issue written permits allowing such work on any of the holidays in Section 1:
- the municipal or city mayor
- the municipal councilor in the absence of the mayor in the former’s jurisdiction
- the barrio lieutenant in the absence of the mayor and councilor within the barrio
Section 5 requires that a copy of such permits be furnished to the chief of police and the municipal treasurer of the municipality where the permits are issued.
Section 5 sets the furnishing deadline at within five days after the issuance thereof.

Section 6 makes it unlawful for any employer to reduce the compensation of any employee or laborer by reason of the provisions of this Act.

Section 7 requires that the Secretary of Labor issue rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of the Act.

Section 8 provides that any violation of the Act or its implementing rules is punishable by a fine not exceeding one hundred pesos or imprisonment for not more than one month, or both, in the discretion of the court.
Section 8 states that if the violation is committed by an association or corporation, the manager shall be held criminally liable, and if not, the person acting as such when the violation took place shall be liable.
Section 8 provides for government corporations: the managing head is held criminally liable except when the managing head shows the violation was due to an act or commission of another person over whom the former has no control, in which case the person responsible for the violation shall be held criminally liable.
Section 8 provides that if an alien commits a violation of the Act for the second time, the court shall order immediate deportation.

Section 9 continues in force and effect all laws relative to cockfighting, horse racing, Jai Alai, games and motion picture exhibitions, except as provided in the Act.
Section 10 provides that the Act takes effect ninety days after its approval.
The Act was approved on June 20, 1953.