A five-day holiday begins Thursday until Monday, with President Benigno Aquino III having declared Saturday, April 7, a non-working day.

Labor Regional Director Ponciano Ligutom yesterday urged all private sector employers in Western Visayas to observe labor standards during the holidays.

The President, in Proclamation 360 released yesterday, declared Black Saturday, on April 7, a special non-working day throughout the country.

“The observance of Holy Week is one of our people’ most cherished traditions… our people must be given the full and uninterrupted opportunity to ponder on the significance of the Holy Week and to properly observe its traditions with rigorous fervor, without prejudice to public interest,” the president said.

In Proclamation No. 295 issued by the president in November last year, he declared Maundy Thursday on April 5,Good Friday on April 6 and Araw ng Kagitingan on April 9 regular holidays.

A Department of Labor and Employment advisory furnished the DAILY STAR by Ligutom states that:

• If the holiday falls on an employee’s regular workday:

If the day is worked, the employee is entitled to 200 percent of his or her daily wage on the first eight hours and, for work in excess of the eight hours, to an additional 30 percent of his or her hourly rate on the said day. If unworked, the employee is entitled to 100 percent of the regular daily rate, provided he or she was present, or was on leave with pay, on the workday immediately preceding the holiday.

• If the day is the employee’s rest day:

If the day is the employee’s rest day and the day is worked, he or she is entitled to 260 percent of his or her daily rate on the first eight hours, plus 30 percent for work in excess of eight hours on the said day. But if unworked, the employee is entitled only to 100 percent of his regular rate, provided he or she was present, or was on leave with pay, on the workday immediately preceding the holiday.

Finally, in case the day immediately preceding the holiday is a non-working day in the establishment, or is the scheduled rest day of the employee, the employee shall not be deemed on leave of absence on that day, in which case he or she shall be entitled to the regular holiday pay, the DOLE said.*CPG

back to top