November 7, 2011 is a Holiday

Under Proclamation no. 276 signed by President Noynoy Aquino, November 7, 2011 is a Philippine Regular Holiday and as recommended by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, Eidul Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia that falls on this day should be observed. 


Below is the full text of the Proclamation:

MALACAÑAN PALACE

MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROCLAMATION NO. 276

DECLARING MONDAY, 7 NOVEMBER 2011, AS A REGULAR HOLIDAY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, IN OBSERVANCE OF EIDUL ADHA (FEAST OF SACRIFICE)

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 9849 provides that Eidul Adha shall be celebrated as a regular holiday;

WHEREAS, Eidul Adha is one of the two greatest feasts of Islam;

WHEREAS, the date of the festival based on the declaration made by Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body is on 6 November 2011;

WHEREAS, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) recommended that the observance of Eidul Adha be on 7 November 2011 and the Eidul Adha prayer held on 6 November 2011;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BENIGNO S. AQUINO III, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby declare Monday, 7 November 2011, as a regular holiday throughout the country, in observance of Eidul Adha (Feast of Sacrifice).

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

Done in the City of Manila, this 20th day of October, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Eleven.

(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III
By the President

(Sgd.) PAQUITO N. OCHOA JR.
Executive Secretary

April 9 is Araw ng Kagitingan

Today, April 9, 2011, Saturday, is Araw ng Kagitingan.  It was proclaimed as a Philippine regular holiday to honor all of our heroes especially the veterans of Bataan who sacrificed in defending our democracy and freedom.

If an employee has a Monday to Saturday work, but he takes a holiday off, he will still be entitled for a 100 percent of his daily wage. But if he or she chooses to be present, makes his or her reports, prepares vouchers, answers calls, prepares summary of receipts, and does a lot of tasks, (I’m not implying that it’s us) even it’s a holiday, he or she will be entitled for a 200 percent of his or her daily wage and another 30 percent in excess of eight hours.

This post goes out to me and my officemates. Mabuhay Tayong Magigiting!

(Janice, our Senior Billing & Collection Staff)

(with yours truly)

(Victor)

(Ednes)

(Angel)

Ooops sorry, too busy to adjust cam's date :)

Declaration of Holidays

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had approved a list of holidays for the year 2009 where September 21 was declared a national holiday for the observance of the end of Ramadan. In addition to this, President Arroyo declared, last week that September 7 be a National Holiday for Mourning as it was the burial day of INC's Executive Minister, Erano "Ka Erdie" Manalo.

Prior to these two holidays, President Arroyo has a way of moving holidays to another "day". She made a justification about this as she believed that long weekends will boost the domestic tourism and will strengthen the family ties. On the business sector's side, they also believed that long weekends will encourage people to spend more on their weekend trips and mall visits. What they didn't like is the sudden declaration of holidays as they have to choose if they will give holiday off or they will give holiday pay.

National Heroes Day

photo credits

National Heroes Day is a legal holiday here in the Philippines. We celebrate it to commemorate all other unsung heroes who don't have their own legal holiday. It was declared a national holiday that fall every last Sunday of August by virtue of Act No. 3827 of 1931. August was the month chosen so as to remember the Cry of Pugad Lawin by the Katipunan led bythe "Supremo" Andres Bonifacio.

It is now celebrated on this day, last Monday of August 2009.

Ninoy Aquino Day

He died 26 years ago. According to the government, he was shot by a lone gunman the moment he stepped out of the plane. The greatest president we never had. His death has let off his widow, Corazon C. Aquino to the limelight and eventually to the presidency, putting back the 20-year dictatorial Marcos administration. To many Filipinos, Ninoy Aquino during those times, was considered the number one contender of Ferdinand Marcos.

On August 21, 1971, Ninoy Aquino had not attended the Liberal Party kick-off rally at Plaza Miranda where all of a sudden, the stage became a scene of bloodshed. It was later found out that two grenades were thrown that killed 9 and injured 120. A year after, Marcos declared Martial Law and arrested the number one opponent, Ninoy Aquino for charges of murder, illegal possession of firearms, and subversion. No evidence pointed him to the crimes yet he was found guilty and was sentenced to death by firing squad. The sentence was eventually alleviated but he remained in prison where he had a heart attack that forced him to go to the United States to have a bypass surgery.

Aquino spent three years in the US with his family. But even in his absence, he was still accused of campaigning a revolution. Ninoy later on declared that he was willing to lay his on life on the line.

Then on August 21, 1983, being aware of the dangers that awaited him, Aquino decided to go back to the Philippines. Regardless of security guards, military and police officers at the tarmac, armed bodyguard, and a bulletproof vest, Aquino was still shot in the head. No direct evidence linked Marcos to the assassination yet there was a prevailing dissatisfaction on the Marcos Administration. The assassination opened the eyes of the people from all walks of life. It has also pushed Ninoy's widow, Corazon Aquino into the public eye. She was convinced by the oppositions that she was the one to beat Marcos and later on campaigned for the 1986 snap elections.

Ninoy Aquino's legacy lives on. Lots of monuments was built to commemorate his death and most of all thanks to the congress for enacting RA9256 declaring August 21 as Ninoy Aquino Day, a legal holiday in the Philippines, it means double pay for us who still went to work ;)