By Rey Anthony Chiu | 08:03 PM November 26, 2023
Monday, November 27, has been declared as holiday in observance of Bonifacio Day, in lieu of Thursday, November 30.
As per Republic Act 9492, which rationalized the declaration of holidays to the Monday nearest to November 30, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has declared Monday as a holiday and November 30 of 2023, Thursday as a working day.
Through Proclamation No 90, the president amended Proclamation 42, series of 2022, which declared the regular holidays and special (non-working) days for the year 2023.
But pursuant to holiday economics wherein a longer weekend will help encourage domestic travel and increase tourism expenditures in the country, the president sees the need to adjust the holidays.
Owing to the amendment, affected regular holidays include April 9 Araw ng Kagitingan which was moved to April 10 or the Monday nearest to April 9, and November 30 Bonifacio Day, which would now be observed November 27 or the Monday nearest to Nov 30.
The commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan on April 9, which is a regular holiday in the country, incidentally falls on a Sunday, that to enable countrymen to avail of the benefits of a longer weekend, the President declared Monday, April 10 as a holiday in lieu of April 9, which is now non-declared as a non-working holiday provided that the historical significance of Araw ng Kagitingan is maintained, the Proclamation reasoned out then.
As to the Bonifacio Day which is commemorated every November 30 which falls on a Thursday this year, applying RA 9242, the nearest Monday is declared as a non-working holiday and Thursday November 30 as a working day now.
In the same manner, as New Year’s Day in 2023 fell on a Sunday, in consideration of the Filipino tradition of visiting relatives and spending time with families for the new year, the President also declared January 2, Monday as an additional special non-working day throughout the country. (PIABohol)
