Proclamation No. 655 - LIST OF PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR 2014

MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROCLAMATION NO. 655

DECLARING THE REGULAR HOLIDAYS, SPECIAL (NON-WORKING) DAYS, AND SPECIAL HOLIDAY (FOR ALL SCHOOLS) FOR THE YEAR 2014

WHEREAS, Republic Act (RA) No. 9492, dated 24 July 2007, amended Section 26, Chapter 7, Book I of Executive Order (EO) No. 292, also known as the Administrative Code of 1987, by declaring certain days (specific or movable) as special or regular holidays;

WHEREAS, RA No. 9492 provides that holidays, except those which are religious in nature, are moved to the nearest Monday unless otherwise modified by law, order or proclamation;

WHEREAS, RA No. 9849 provides that the Eidul Adha shall be celebrated as a national holiday;

WHEREAS, the EDSA People Power Revolution, which restored and ushered political, social and economic reforms in the country, serves as an inspiration to Filipinos everywhere as a nation and as a people;

WHEREAS, on 31 January 2014, the Chinese nationals all over the world will celebrate Spring Festival, popularly known as the Chinese New Year, which is one of the most revered and festive events celebrated not only in China but also in the Philippines by both Chinese-Filipinos and ordinary Filipinos as well; and the joint celebration is a manifestation of our solidarity with our Chinese-Filipino brethren who have been part of our lives in many respects as a country and as a people; 31 January 2014 may be declared as a special (non-working) day without detriment to public interest;

WHEREAS, Saturday, 19 April 2014 falls between Good Friday and Easter Sunday; Black Saturday, falling between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, has been traditionally declared a special (non-working) day throughout the country because the observance of Holy Week is one of our people’s most cherished traditions and they must be given the full and uninterrupted opportunity to ponder the significance of Holy Week and to properly observe its traditions with religious fervor, without prejudice to public interest;

WHEREAS, in order to foster closer family ties and enable our countrymen to observe Christmas more meaningfully, it is but fitting to declare 24 December (Wednesday) and 26 December 2014 (Friday) as additional special (non-working) days throughout the country;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BENIGNO S. AQUINO III, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution as President of the Philippines, do hereby declare:

SECTION 1. The following regular holidays and special days for the year 2014 shall be observed in the country:

A. Regular Holidays
New Year’s Day	-	1	January (Wednesday)
Araw ng Kagitingan	-	9	April (Wednesday)
Maundy Thursday	-	17	April
Good Friday	-	18	April
Labor Day	-	1	May (Thursday)
Independence Day	-	12	June (Thursday)
National Heroes Day	-	25	August (Last Monday of August)
Bonifacio Day	-	30	November (Sunday)
Christmas Day	-	25	December (Thursday)
Rizal Day	-	30	December (Tuesday)
B. Special (Non-Working) Days
Chinese New Year	-	31	January (Friday)
Black Saturday	-	19	April
Ninoy Aquino Day	-	21	August (Thursday)
All Saints Day	-	1	November (Saturday)
Additional special (non-working) days	-	24	December (Wednesday)
	-	26	December (Friday)
Last Day of the Year	-	31	December (Wednesday)
C. Special Holiday (for all schools)
EDSA Revolution Anniversary	-	25	February (Tuesday)

SECTION 2. The proclamations declaring national holidays for the observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eidul Adha shall hereafter 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. To this end, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) shall inform the Office of the President on which days the holidays shall respectively fall.

SECTION 3. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) shall promulgate the implementing guidelines for this Proclamation.

SECTION 4. This Proclamation shall take effect immediately.

SECTION 5. This Proclamation shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation.

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 25th day of September, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Thirteen.

(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III

By the President:
(Sgd.) PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR.Executive Secretary