Ninoy’s death anniversary a non-working holiday
MANILA – President Benigno Aquino III has declared Saturday, August 21, as a special non-working holiday in observance of the death anniversary of his father, the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy’ S. Aquino Jr.
In a media briefing, Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Presidential Proclamation No. 13, which President Aquino signed last August 11, adjusted the observance of Ninoy Aquino Day which should have been on Monday, August 23 following the Holiday Economics law.
Monday will remain a regular working day.
Lacierda said the President is not keen on modifying the Holiday Economics law but issued the proclamation, after consultations with his Cabinet officials to promote productivity and observe the solemnity of the late senator’s martyrdom.
Ninoy Aquino was assassinated at the airport tarmac upon his return from Boston on Aug. 21, 1983.
“Observing Ninoy Aquino on August 21 instead of August 23 will avoid the imposition of unnecessary financial burden upon the employers, continuity of government, business and commercial transactions promote productivity, while at the same time preserve the solemnity of the observance,” the proclamation said.
Holiday economics was introduced by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2007 with the passage of Republic Act 9492 to allow Filipinos to spend more time with their families and spur domestic tourism.
Under R.A. 9492, a holiday that falls on a Wednesday will be observed on the Monday of the same week. If the holiday falls on a weekend, the holiday will be observed the following Monday.
Businessmen, however, have complained against the government’s holiday economics policy as it requires them to double the pay of employees especially during holidays that were moved on Mondays.
Expected to benefit from the new proclamation are the more than three million non-regular workers employed during weekdays who fall under the “no work-no pay” policy of the private sector. PNA
