For 2024, there is one special non-working day missing from the usual holiday line-up: the commemoration of the EDSA People Power Revolution.
This is to go by the list of regular holidays and special non-working days for 2024 approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday, October 13, 2023.
Read:
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EDSA People Power Revolution gone from 2024 holidays
February 25 is a historic day in the Philippines. It marks the anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, known even to the world as a bloodless uprising where millions of Filipinos gathered in the heart of Metro Manila calling for the ouster of the late dictator, President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the father of current President Bongbong.
Traditionally, it has become a special non-working holiday and was last commemorated on the same day in 2022 when February 25 fell on a Friday.
This 2023, it fell on a Saturday, prompting Marcos Jr. to declare Friday, February 24, a special non-working day instead.
This was part of his holiday economics principle where certain holidays are moved to either Monday or Friday to allow Filipinos to have extended weekends.
“[T]o enable our countrymen to avail of the benefits of a longer weekend pursuant to the principle of holiday economics, the celebration of EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary may be moved from 25 February 2023 (Saturday) to 24 February 2023 (Friday), provided that the historical significance of the EDSA People Power Revolution is maintained," Proclamation No. 167 read.
For 2024, the event was simply not in the calendar of holidays.
Present still is the Ninoy Aquino Day, which falls on August 21.
In a statement released hours after the 2024 holiday line-up was announced, the Office of the President said it did not include the EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary "because February 25 falls on a Sunday."
Yet, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, declared a special non-working holiday on December 8, also falls on a Sunday in 2024.
"There is minimal socio-economic impact in declaring this day as a special non-working holiday since it coincides with the rest day for most workers and laborers," it said.
When Marcos Jr. was elected in 2022, his long-time aide Vic Rodriguez was asked by media if the EDSA Anniversary would still be celebrated under this administration, to which he gave a non-answer: "I don't see any connection to what we did today, getting the president elect and vice-president elect proclaimed to what you're asking me now."
Project Gunita, a citizen-led organization focused on preserving the Philippine Martial Law history and on countering historical disinformation, called this a "complete eradication."
The deletion of the Edsa event as a special non-working day, Project Gunita said, is "a state-sponsored attempt to whitewash the history of the brutal dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr."
Adding, "People Power left its mark in the world for toppling one of the most atrocious and corrupt dictatorships in the 20th century, which inspired other nations to boot out their own tyrants. Even if the goverment of Marcos the son strips EDSA 1986 of any official recognition, the people's commemoration next year will matter more."
Also read:
The Way It Was: Martial Law and Torture Under the Marcos Regime
I Knew Marcos, The Dictator
The 2024 holidays as announced
Under Proclamation No. 368, these are the regular holidays:
January 1 – New Year’s Day
March 28 – Maundy Thursday
March 29 – Good Friday
April 9 – Araw ng Kagitingan
May 1 – Labor Day
June 12 – Independence Day
August 26 – National Heroes Day (Last Monday of August)
November 30 – Bonifacio Day
December 25 – Christmas Day
December 30 – Rizal Day
These are the special non-working days:
February 10 – Chinese New Year
March 30 – Black Saturday
August 21 – Ninoy Aquino Day
November 1 – All Saints’ Day
November 2 – All Souls’ Day
December 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary
December 24 – Christmas Eve
December 31 – Last Day of the Year
This article is originally from Spot.ph