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Philippine Holiday Guide

Philippine holiday rules materially affect workforce availability, scheduling, and payroll math. Get the classification right each year (Presidential proclamations + DOLE advisories), update payroll rules before the period starts, communicate schedules to clients and staff, and keep clean records to stay DOLE-compliant.

Below is a concise guide you can drop into your Resources page or share with client HR and payroll teams.

Understanding Holiday Types in the Philippines

The Philippines categorizes holidays into three distinct types, each with different implications for workforce availability and compensation requirements.

What are Philippine Regular Holidays?

Regular Holidays represent the most significant impact on business operations, as employees receive full pay regardless of whether they work. These 12 mandatory holidays in 2026 require careful planning, as workforce availability is typically minimal unless critical operations demand coverage

  • Examples: New Year’s Day, Independence Day, National Holidays designated by proclamation.
  • Key effect: Employees are generally entitled to their regular daily wage even if they do not work on that day (subject to some exceptions such as certain small retail/service establishments). If they do work, they must be paid 200% of the daily rate for the first 8 hours (i.e., double pay). More complex multipliers apply if the day is also a rest day or if overtime is worked.

What are Philippine Special Holidays?

The are two types of Philippine Special holidays, the Special non-Working holidays and the Special Working Holidays. Special Non-Working Holidays operate under a “no work, no pay” principle, offering greater operational flexibility. Special Working Holidays function as regular business days with no mandatory premium pay requirements. 

Special-Non Working Holiday

  • Examples: Days declared as “special non-working” by proclamation (e.g., certain commemorative days).
  • Key effect: The general principle is “no work, no pay” unless the company policy/CBA grants pay for a non-working special day. If the employee works, the usual premium is 130% of the daily rate for the first 8 hours (i.e., base wage + 30% premium). If it falls on a rest day or is combined with overtime, different multipliers apply. Always check the proclamation/DOLE advisory — classifications can change year to year.

Special Working Holiday

  • Some dates are declared “special working” (e.g., certain Dec 24/31 designations). These are treated as ordinary working days for pay purposes — no holiday premium applies (employees are paid normally). DOLE/Palace proclamations identify these.

Local Holidays

Cities/municipalities have local holidays (e.g., town fiesta). Local holidays may be regular or special — treat according to proclamation and local ordinances. Confirm classification before applying premiums.

Philippine Holiday Schedule for 2026

Date (2026)Holiday NameHoliday Classification
January 1, 2026New Year’s DayRegular Holiday
February 17, 2026Chinese New YearSpecial Non-Working Holiday
February 25, 2025EDSA People Power Revolution AnniversarySpecial Working Holiday
April 2, 2025Maundy ThursdayRegular Holiday
April 3, 2025Good FridayRegular Holiday
April 4, 2025Black SaturdaySpecial Non-Working Holiday
April 9, 2025Araw ng KagitingaRegular Holiday
May 1, 2025Labor DayRegular Holiday
June 12, 2025Independence DayRegular Holiday
August 21, 2025Ninoy Aquino DaySpecial Non-Working Holiday
August 31, 2025National Heroes DayRegular Holiday
November 1, 2025All Saint’s DaySpecial Non-Working Holiday
November 2, 2025All Soul’s DaySpecial Non-Working Holiday
November 30, 2025Bonifacio DayRegular Holiday
December 25, 2025Christmas DayRegular Holiday
December 30, 2025Rizal DayRegular Holiday
December 31, 2025New Year’s EveSpecial Non-Working Holiday

Notes

  • The proclamation states that the exact dates for Eidul Fitr and Eidul Adha (Islamic holidays) will be issued separately after the Islamic calendar determination. Treat them as Regular Holidays when proclaimed — add them to your calendar as soon as DOLE/Palace issues the dates.
  • Where a holiday falls on a rest day or when overtime is worked, additional multipliers apply (e.g., regular holiday on rest day or overtime = higher premiums). Use the payroll formulas in the main guide (DW × multipliers) when computing payslips.
  • Local (city/municipal) holidays are not in this national list — check local ordinances for offices operating outside Metro Manila.

Quick legal note

This guide summarizes common DOLE practice and widely used payroll formulas. It is not formal legal advice. For complex cases (consecutive holidays, unusual contracts, or disputes), consult a Philippine labor lawyer or DOLE regional office.

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