Palace bares 2025 holidays, special days

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has issued a proclamation enumerating the holidays for next year, including the anniversary of the people power revolution, which was classified as a special working day.

Under Proclamation No. 727 signed for the President by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Oct. 30, the regular holidays for 2025 include New Year’s Day (Jan. 1) and Araw ng Kagitingan (April 9), both of which will fall on a Wednesday; Maundy Thursday (April 17), Good Friday (April 18), Labor Day (May 1) and Independence Day (June 12), both of which will fall on a Thursday.

Other regular holidays are National Heroes Day (Aug. 25), which is celebrated every last Monday of August; Bonifacio Day (Nov. 30), which will fall on a Sunday; Christmas (Dec. 25), which will fall on a Thursday and Rizal Day (Dec. 30), which will fall on a Tuesday.

The special non-working days for 2025 are Ninoy Aquino Day (Aug. 21), which will fall on a Thursday; All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1), which will fall on a Saturday; Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), which will fall on a Monday and the last day of the year (Dec. 31), which will fall on a Wednesday.

The anniversary of the 1986 EDSA people power revolution on Feb. 25 was declared a special working day. The military-backed popular revolt ended the 20-year presidency of Marcos’ late father and namesake, and propelled Corazon Aquino to power.

The 38th anniversary of the EDSA revolution was not included in the list of this year’s holidays, drawing flak from critics who viewed it as an attempt to revise history and to deodorize the administration of the elder Marcos, which they claimed was tainted with human rights violations and corruption.

The Office of the President explained that the anniversary was not included in the list of special non-working days for 2024 because the date fell on a Sunday. There is a minimal socio-economic impact in declaring the day a special non-working holiday since it coincides with the rest day for most workers, the office added.

Malacañang also declared four additional special non-working days for next year, namely Chinese New Year (Jan. 29), which will fall on a Wednesday; Black Saturday (April 19), Christmas Eve  (Dec. 24), which will fall on a Wednesday and All Saints’ Day Eve (Oct. 31), which will fall on a Friday.

The proclamations declaring national holidays for the observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eid’l Adha will be issued after the approximate dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined in accordance with the Islamic calendar or the lunar calendar or upon Islamic astronomical calculations, or whichever is possible or convenient. The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos will recommend to the President the actual dates on which these holidays will fall.

The labor department was directed to issue the implementing guidelines for the proclamation, which took effect immediately.

Marcos also declared July 27, 2025, the founding anniversary of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), as a special non-working day nationwide.

The declaration was made through Proclamation No. 729 issued last Oct. 30. The proclamation was issued to give INC members full opportunity to participate in the occasion.

The INC, founded by Felix Manalo on July 27, 1914, endorsed Marcos and his runningmate Vice President Sara Duterte during the 2022 elections.