What's the Difference Between a Regular Holiday and a Special Non-Working Day?

(SPOT.ph) Did you know that the Philippines is among the countries with the most holidays in the world? There's no question that we love our holidays, but not all of them are created equal.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) actually classifies holidays into three types—regular holiday, a special non-working day, or a special working day—and how much you earn (or don’t) depends on which one it falls under. Read on to learn everything you need to know about holiday pay in the Philippines.

Also read: LIST: 2026 Holidays and Long Weekends in the Philippines

Regular holidays are the country’s major public holidays, written into law and celebrated nationwide every year. These include New Year’s Day (January 1), Araw ng Kagitingan (April 9), Labor Day (May 1), Independence Day (June 12), National Heroes Day (last Monday of August), Bonifacio Day (November 30), Christmas Day (December 25), and Rizal Day (December 30).

Some regular holidays don’t fall on the same date annually. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, for instance, depend on the Catholic liturgical calendar, while the Islamic holidays Eid’l Fitr and Eid’l Adha are determined by the sighting of the crescent moon. The exact dates for these Muslim holidays are announced by Malacañang each year upon confirmation by religious authorities.

What sets regular holidays apart is that they’re paid even if you don’t report for work, as long as you were present or on approved leave on the last working day before the holiday. If you do come to work, you get double pay—200% of your daily wage for the first eight hours. If the holiday also falls on your rest day, you earn an additional 30% on top of that rate. Overtime during regular holidays earns another 30% premium. If a regular holiday lands on a Sunday, you still get paid for it—it doesn’t disappear just because it overlaps with your rest day. In short, regular holidays are designed to give you both rest and reward.

On the other hand, special non-working days are declared by law or presidential proclamation each year. They usually commemorate historical events or cultural observances that don’t require a full nationwide shutdown. These include Ninoy Aquino Day (August 21), All Saints’ Day (November 1), the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), and the Last Day of the Year (December 31).

There's also such thing as "additional special non-working days,” which are just extra holidays declared by the President like Chinese New Year and Black Saturday—usually to extend long weekends or allow Filipinos more time for rest, family, or travel. They’re not fixed by law, meaning they can change every year.

Unlike regular holidays, the “no work, no pay” rule applies here. If you don’t go to work, you don’t get paid—unless your company policy or collective bargaining agreement grants otherwise.

If you do work on a special non-working, you’re entitled to 130% of your daily wage for the first eight hours. If the day also happens to be your rest day, that rate increases to 150%. Overtime work earns another 30% on top of those rates. The government releases the official list of special non-working days each year, so it’s best to check Malacañang proclamations before booking those long weekends.

Then there are the special working days, which may be listed alongside holidays but are treated just like any ordinary workday. So why are they still recognized? These dates are intended to commemorate specific occasions without suspending work nationwide—a way to acknowledge their historical or cultural significance while maintaining office and business operations.

A good example is the EDSA People Power Revolution anniversary on February 25. It was once a special non-working day, but under recent proclamations in the Marcos administration, it’s now classified as a special working day.

On these days, employees are expected to work as usual, with no added pay or mandatory day off. If you skip work, you don’t get paid.

Aside from these national observances, the Philippines also has local holidays, which apply only within a specific city, municipality, or province. These are declared either through local ordinances or presidential proclamations upon the request of local government units (LGUs). They typically commemorate events like a city or provincial foundation anniversary, charter day, or patron saint’s feast. Examples include Manila Day (June 24), Quezon City Day (August 19), and Cebu City Charter Day (February 24).

In practice, many employers follow the same pay principles as special non-working days: employees who don’t report for work are generally not entitled to pay unless company policy states otherwise, while those who do work may be granted additional pay according to internal agreements or local labor practices. DOLE doesn’t set a fixed rate for local holidays, so pay still depends on your company’s own policy or any existing labor agreement.

Because these holidays differ by location, it’s best to check announcements from your local government or DOLE regional office to confirm whether a declared local holiday applies to your area—and if your company recognizes it for pay purposes.

To sum it up, regular holidays guarantee both rest and pay, special non-working days only pay extra if you report to work, and special working days are essentially regular workdays. The law treats them differently because of its purpose: regular holidays mark national or religious significance that warrants a day of rest, while special holidays are meant to observe events with minimal disruption to productivity.

Even for holidays that move around—like those tied to Holy Week or Ramadan—the principle stays the same. Once Malacañang officially declares the date, the corresponding rules for pay automatically apply.

Also read: How Many Paid Leaves Are Workers Entitled to Under the PH Labor Code?