The EDSA People Power Anniversary Is Not Included in the 2024 Holiday Lineup
The palace is yet to comment.
(SPOT.ph) UPDATE: There's one special non-working day missing from the usual holiday lineup next year: The EDSA People Power Revolution. Malacanang on Friday, October 13 released the regular holidays and special non-working days for 2024, allowing Filipinos to plan their year ahead, with one usual not on the list.
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EDSA People Power Revolution gone from the 2024 holidays
February 25 is a historic day in the Philippines, as it marks the anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, a bloodless uprising where millions of Filipinos gathered in the heart of Metro Manila to call for the ouster of late dictator, President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the father of current President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
It's usually a special non-working holiday, as it 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 as 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, it 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 lineup was announced, the Office of the President said it did not include the EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary in the list "because February 25 falls on a Sunday." The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, 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 the media if there would still be space to mark the EDSA Anniversary under this administration, to which he answered: "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 countering historical disinformation, called the "complete eradication" of the special non-working day "a state-sponsored attempt" to whitewash the history of the brutal dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr."
"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"
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The 2024 holidays as announced
Under Proclamation No. 368, these are the regular holidays:
Jan. 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
Aug. 26 – National Heroes Day (Last Monday of August)
Nov. 30 – Bonifacio Day
Dec. 25 – Christmas Day
Dec. 30 – Rizal Day
These are the special non-working days:
Aug. 21 – Ninoy Aquino Day
Nov. 1 – All Saints’ Day
Dec. 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary
Dec. 31 – Last Day of the Year
Feb. 10 – Chinese New Year
March 30 – Black Saturday
Nov. 2 – All Souls’ Day
Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve