Manila: The Aquino administration will retain a policy concerning holidays which was started during the term of President Gloria Arroyo.
Edwin Lacierda, spokesperson for President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, said, the palace will respect the "Holiday Economics Law".
Republic Act 9492, a law rationalising the celebration of holidays, was signed by Arroyo in July 2007. The edict aims to spur domestic consumption during periods of long holidays by encouraging Filipinos to spend.
With the law coming into force, the previous informal practice of moving holiday observances was made an official government policy. The law requires that most holidays, except those with religious significance, will be moved to the nearest Monday.
The practice was adopted after a National Statistical Coordination Board study said that if tourism and related industries increased by 10 per cent as a result of the long weekends, the economy would experience a growth of 3.5 per cent in gross domestic product.
Businessmen were however complaining against the government's holiday economics policy since it requires them to double the pay of employees working during holidays.
The Philippines has a total of 11 national regular holidays and three nationwide special days. Exempted from the holiday economics law are: Christmas Day (December 25), New Year's Eve (December 31), New Year's Day (January 1), Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Eid Al Fitr and All Saints Day (November 1).
Enquiries
Lacierda said he had been receiving enquiries over the previous administration's policy with respect to the coming death anniversary of Aquino's father, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr on August 21.
The elder Aquino, then the leader of the opposition to President Ferdinand Marcos's regime, was assassinated on August 21, 1983 upon his return to Manila from exile. His death anniversary is a national holiday.
For this year, the elder Aquino's death anniversary falls on a Saturday and if the law is to be followed, the holiday will be declared on Monday, August 23.
"As far as possible, President Aquino does not want to highlight the death anniversary or any anniversary of his parents just because of his position," Lacierda said.
