TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—Malacañang has declared February 9, 2024 as an additional special non-working day throughout the country.
The declaration for that day will give the people the full opportunity to celebrate the Chinese New Year this year, and since it Chinese New Year falls on a Saturday, declaring a non-working day on a Friday will start a long weekend, thus allowing the possibilities of domestic travel for more tourism activities.
Through Proclamation No. 453, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed last January 18, 2024, the Chinese New Year for this year, which falls on February 10, is now stretched by the non-working day.
It may be recalled that last year, through Proclamation No 368, dated October 11, 2023, the president declared February 10, 2023, a Saturday as Chinese New Year and a special non-working day throughout the country.
As this presents a chance for a longer weekend, the president has created a long week-end.
It was during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that the practice of creating long week-ends was seriously considered.
Arroyo, being an economist, calls the practice ‘holiday economics,’ and has mainstreamed the moving of national holidays closer to Saturday or Sunday, to create longer weekends and afford the people days for travel.
Set to stimulate domestic travel and increase tourism revenues from the expanded weekend receipts, the holiday economics soon became acceptable to large sectors, except for workers who fall under no-work, no-pay schemes.
For this, through Proclamation 453, the president has also directed the Department of Labor and Employment to issue appropriate circular to implement the proclamation for the private sector. (PIABohol)
