#WalangPasok – November 5 2021 declared holiday in Negros Occidental
Residents of Negros Occidental will be marking the 123rd anniversary of the 1898 Negros Revolution this November 5. The day is a special non-working holiday in the entire province as stipulated in Republic Act 6709.
The law was enacted by then-President Corazon Aquino in 1989. Read the full text of RA 6709 here. The holiday will give Negrenses a three-day weekend because it falls on a Friday this year.
The holiday commemorates the successful effort of Negrense freedom fighters to drive out remnants of the Spanish government from the province. This historical event led to the establishment of the Republic of Negros under the leadership of Aniceto Lacson.
The Negros Republic however was eventually subdued by the American colonizers. The occassion is also called Al Cinco de Noviembre or Negros Day, evern though Negros Oriental is not included in the declaration.
According to the 2020 DOLE handbook on workers statutory monetary benefits, the “no work, no pay” principle applies during special non-working holidays. Meaning, workers who are not required or permitted to work on special non-working days are not entitled to any compensation unless there is a collective bargaining agreement or a company policy that provides for that.
The handbook likewise highlighted that employees who work during special non-working days are entitled to receive an additional pay of 30% for every hour that they render service.
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