Holidays. . . Ooh yeah. Ooh yeah.

Gloria Arroyo signed Republic Act 9492 a few days ago and made her "holiday economics" policy (longer holidays = vacations + domestic spending) the law of the land. All the holidays in the Philippine calendar (except those which are day/date specific ) are now moved to the nearest Monday guaranteeing us three-day weekends where once there were but midweek day-offs (which were good only for nursing hang-overs from the night before) or Sat/Sun holidays (which were good for nothing).

The official roster:

Regular Holidays (Get 200% your pay when worked):
New Year’s Day - January 1 (fixed)
Maundy Thursday - Movable date
Good Friday - Movable date
Eid ul-Fitr - Movable date
Araw ng Kagitingan - Monday nearest April 9 (Bataaan and Corregidor Day)
Labor Day - Monday nearest May 1
Independence Day - Monday nearest June 12
National Heroes Day - Last Monday of August
Bonifacio Day - Monday nearest November 30
Christmas Day - December 25 (fixed)
Rizal Day - Monday nearest December 30

Nationwide Special Holidays (Get 30% premium):
Ninoy Aquino Day - Monday nearest August 21
All Saints Day - November 1 (fixed)
Last Day of the Year - December 31 (fixed)

January 1, November 1, Christmas Day and December 31 are the date specific holidays. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Eid ul-Fitr are the day specific ones.

The law states that if date-specific holiday falls on a Wednesday, it will be observed on that week's Monday, and if on a Sunday, the following Monday is off. It also provides that Malacañang will "issue a proclamation, at least six months prior to the holiday concerned, the specific date that shall be declared as a nonworking day". (To remind people who they're supposed to thank for their furlough?)

Now that GMA has the "holiday" bit down pat, wonder what she intends to do with the "economics" part.