Legal basis and related holiday laws
- Republic Act No. 9492 (dated 24 July 2007) amended Section 26, Chapter 7, Book I of Executive Order No. 292 (Administrative Code of 1987) by declaring certain days as special or regular holidays.
- Republic Act No. 9849 (dated 11 December 2009) provides that Eidul Adha is celebrated as a national holiday.
- Republic Act No. 10966 (dated 28 December 2017) provides that December 8 of every year is celebrated as a special non-working holiday to commemorate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
- The proclamation contemplates future holiday declarations for Eidul Fitr and Eidul Adha based on Islamic calendar determinations.
Policy and intent for holiday declarations
- The proclamation declares holidays for 2019 to mark major national events, religious observances, and culturally significant occasions.
- The proclamation provides for special non-working days intended to strengthen family ties and promote domestic tourism through added opportunities for commemorative activities.
- The proclamation recognizes the importance of Islam-related observances and provides a method for determining their actual dates in 2019 based on applicable calendar or calculations.
Coverage: national holidays and non-working days
- The proclamations set the regular holidays and special (non-working) days to be observed in the country for 2019.
- The holiday schedule expressly covers both regular holidays and special (non-working) days across the national calendar.
- The proclamations establish additional special non-working days specifically listed for 2019.
Regular holidays for 2019
- New Year’s Day is observed on 1 January (Tuesday).
- Araw ng Kagitingan is observed on 9 April (Tuesday).
- Maundy Thursday is observed on 18 April.
- Good Friday is observed on 19 April.
- Labor Day is observed on 1 May (Wednesday).
- Independence Day is observed on 12 June (Wednesday).
- National Heroes Day is observed on 26 August (Last Monday of August).
- Bonifacio Day is observed on 30 November (Saturday).
- Christmas Day is observed on 25 December (Wednesday).
- Rizal Day is observed on 30 December (Monday).
Special (non-working) days for 2019
- Chinese New Year is observed on 05 February (Tuesday).
- EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary is observed on 25 February (Monday).
- Black Saturday is observed on 20 April.
- Ninoy Aquino Day is observed on 21 August (Wednesday).
- All Saints’ Day is observed on 1 November (Friday).
- Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary is observed on 8 December (Sunday).
- Last Day of the Year is observed on 31 December (Tuesday).
- Additional special (non-working) days are observed on 2 November (Saturday) and 24 December (Tuesday).
Future determination of Islamic holidays
- Proclamations declaring national holidays for Eidul Fitr and Eidul Adha shall be issued after the approximate dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined in accordance with the Islamic calendar (Hijra) or the lunar calendar, or upon Islamic astronomical calculations, whichever is possible or convenient.
- The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) shall inform the Office of the President of the actual dates on which Eidul Fitr and Eidul Adha respectively fall.
Implementation and publication requirements
- The Department of Labor and Employment shall promulgate the implementing guidelines for the proclamation.
- The proclamation shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation.