December 8 declared a special non-working holiday nationwide
Beginning this 2018, December 8 of every year will already be a special non-working holiday all over the Philippines. This comes after President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 10966, which declares December 8 as a special non-working holiday in observance of the Feast of Immaculate Conception.
This was originally a bill filed before the House of Representatives by Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, while a counterpart measure was passed by the Senate this month.
According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)’s 2017 Handbook on Workers’ Statutory Monetary Benefits, “work performed on special days merits additional compensation of at least thirty percent (30%) of the basic pay or a total of one hundred thirty percent (130%).” Meanwhile, those who will not report for work are not entitled to get paid (a policy known as “no work, no pay”) unless there is a favorable company policy which states otherwise.
PS: I hate to be cynical, but is this just an attempt by the Duterte administration and its allies to temper the criticisms from the Catholic Church? How can you push for the declaration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception as a holiday on one hand then support death penalty as well as the deadly War on Drugs on the other?
It must be noted that there also pending bills seeking to have July 27 of every year declared as a special non-working holiday for Iglesia ni Cristo’s foundation anniversary. What will happen now?
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