Is February 26, 2024 a non-working holiday in the Philippines?
Many Filipinos are wondering if February 26, 2024, Monday, will be declared as a special non-working holiday in the Philippines. This is because February 25, 2024, Sunday, marks the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, a historic event that toppled the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the country.
However, as of this writing, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of the former dictator, has not issued any proclamation declaring February 26 as a holiday. In fact, he did not include February 25 in the list of holidays for 2024, saying that there is no need to declare it as a holiday since it falls on a Sunday.
This is a departure from the previous administrations, which usually declared February 25 as a special non-working holiday, regardless of the day of the week it falls on. For instance, in 2023, President Rodrigo Duterte declared February 25 as a holiday, even though it was a Saturday.
Some critics have accused President Marcos Jr. of downplaying the significance of the EDSA People Power Revolution, which ousted his father from power and led to his exile in Hawaii. They have also called on the public to commemorate the event and uphold the values of democracy, freedom, and human rights that it symbolized.
On the other hand, some supporters of President Marcos Jr. have argued that the EDSA People Power Revolution was not a genuine expression of the people’s will, but a coup d’etat orchestrated by foreign powers and local elites. They have also claimed that the Marcos regime was better than the succeeding administrations in terms of economic development, peace and order, and national sovereignty.
As of now, it is unclear if President Marcos Jr. will change his mind and declare February 26 as a holiday, following the holiday economics policy that he inherited from his father. This policy allows the president to move certain holidays to the nearest Monday or Friday to create long weekends and boost domestic tourism.