This year’s Independence Day has made it the perfect opportunity for groups of friends and families alike to plan a short getaway. After all, everyone loves a long weekend. Some even look up a list of long weekends for the rest of the year so they can work out their vacations for months in advance. But before you finalize your plans, it’s good to fully know all the ins and outs of holidays and holiday pay. Here’s everything you need to know when another holiday rolls around.
Regular Holidays
Holidays in the Philippines are considered either a regular holiday or a special non-working holiday. The easiest to remember are regular holidays, such as Christmas or Independence Day.
Holiday pay allows you to get one day’s worth of your regular wage on a regular holiday. This is as long as you were present or on a leave of absence the day preceding that holiday. DOLE’s Handbook on Workers’ Statutory Monetary Benefits states that “Every employee covered by the Holiday Pay Rule is entitled to the minimum wage rate (daily basic wage and COLA).”
If you choose to work on a regular holiday, or if two holidays fall on the same day, you’ll be able to receive double your regular daily wage. If you choose to work when there are two holidays at once, you’ll receive triple your daily wage.
Note that some are exempted from the holiday pay, such as government employees, kasambahay workers, certain managerial employees, certain members of a managerial staff, field personnel, commission-based workers, and those of retail/service establishments with less than ten employees.
Special Holidays
On the other hand, special holidays are usually either enacted by the Congress or declared by the President. Examples of special holidays include All Saints’ Day or the Feast of Immaculate Conception of Mary. Special holidays are divided further into two categories: non-working and working holidays.
Examples of special non-working holidays include All Saints’ Day and the Feast of Immaculate Conception of Mary. These holidays follow a “no work, no pay” principle. You are allowed to skip work on these days, but you will not be able to claim any holiday pay. However, should you choose to go to work, you’ll be able to receive an additional of at least 30% your regular daily wage. If you choose to go to work on a non-working holiday that also falls on your rest day, you’ll receive an additional of at least 50% your daily wage. These increases are considered your ‘premium pay.’
Finally, special working days are similar to ordinary workdays. You still won’t be able to claim any holiday pay, nor will you receive premium pay if you choose to attend work.
Knowing which holidays fall under which category can help you know how much additional pay you’re entitled to, depending on whether you attend work or not. That way, you’ll be able to enjoy your well-deserved vacation without any worries. If you want to start planning your long weekends, Rappler posted a list of long weekends in 2023.