Holidays in the Philippines
Special holidays
January 23 (2012) known as Bagong Taon ng mga
Tsina or Chinese New Year, It's a movable date.
This holiday commemorates the Chinese's Spring
Festival
February 25 known as People Power Revolution
Anniversary. It's a fixed date. It has been a
special non-working holiday in recent years but
hasn't been made for regular yearly basis. It
also been declared as a special holiday for only
schools, either private and public since 2010.
Commemorates the assassination of former Senator
Benigno S. "Ninoy" Aquino in 1983. After three
years of exile in the United States, Aquino was
shot as he disembarked a China Airlines flight
at the Manila Interbational Airport which now
bears his name. The holiday was created by
Republic Act No. 9256 on 25 February 2004, on
the 18th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution.
August 21 known as Ninoy Aquino Day or Araw ng
Kabayanihan ni Ninoy Aquino. It's fixed date.
The celebration date was changed to the Monday
nearest August 21 by Republic Act No. 9492,
unless otherwise modified by law, and or
proclamation.In 2011, Presidential Proclamation
No. 295, s.2011, declared that the celebration
date in the year 2012 would be August 21 (a
Tuesday).
November 1 is known as Araw ng mga Patay/Araw ng
mga Santo or All Saints Y or All Souls Day. It's
a fixed date. Also known as Todos los Santos and
Undás, this holiday commemorates the saints and
the dead. Families return to their respective
provinces to clean and repair family tombs and
to pay their respects. This day was formerly a
regular holiday but was converted into a
non-working holiday through an Executive Order
issued by former President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo.
December 31 is the New Year's Eve. It's a fixed
date. Originally a filler holiday
between Rizal Day and New Year's Day. Filipinos
spend this night by going to parks and shopping
centers to await for the fireworks display , or
as an alternative, in the streets and make noise
and use firecrackers. Some also spend the night
reflecting themselves on the past year and by
praying.
And now we have some other holidays:
Constitution Day - a non-working holiday on
February 2, 2002, in commemoration of the 15th
anniversary of the approval of the 1987
Philippine Constitution.
Black Saturday and Easter Sunday - Like the EDSA
Revolution Anniversary, these days are sometimes
considered as special non-working holidays by
the President. These holidays are in movable
dates.
Jose Rizal's birthday - Declared on June 19,
1961 by President Carlos P. Garcia in
commemoration of the 100th birth anniversary of
Jose Rizal. It was again declared as an special
non-working holiday in June 20, 2011 (Monday) by
President President Benigno Aquino 111 for
Rizal's 150th birth anniversary requested by the
National Historical Commission of the
Philippines.
Iglesia ni Kristo Day - In keeping with Republic
Act No. 9645, signed into law on June 12, 2009,
July 27 was designated as a special national
working holiday starting from 2009 and every
year thereafter in recognition of the founding
anniversary of the Iglesia ni Cristo in the
Philippines. It is the biggest indigenous
Christian church in the Philippines.
National Day of Prayer and Fasting - was
declared by President Joseph Estrada as a
non-working holiday during the 3rd Saturday of
November in 1999 and 2000 as advised by Bro.
Mike Velarde, his spriritual adviser.
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