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H
 CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THEPHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
S E N A  
S.B. No. 
Introduced by Senator LUISA “LOP’ P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Official non-working days are eagerly being looked forward to by government 
and private firms’ employees alike - sometimes even at a more enthusiastic fashion than 
their natal days. These vacation days offer them not only fieedom, however fleeting, 
from the boredom of routine jobs, but also a time to attend to personal business matters. 
They also provide them ample time to share precious moments with their loved ones as 
family activities and gatherings are usually set on these dates. 
It has been observed and validated fact, however, that when these holidays fall on 
Tuesdays and Thursdays, the tendency of employees is that they will no longer go to 
work on the Monday preceding the Tuesday non-working day and on the Friday 
following a Thursday holiday. This is based on the misplaced notion that the workers 
might as well absent themselves on those days so as to enjoy as “extended vacation 
extravaganza” which stretches over the week-end. This invariably results to a decrease in 
the production output of these workers because of the “intentional absences” incurred 
during working days sandwich’ed between a non-working day and a weekend. 
Furthermore, work continuity is h a h l l y  affected by this anomalous practice in both the 
public and private sectors. 
In this light, this measure proposes that all official non-working days should be 
mandatorily scheduled such that they will either fall on a Monday or a Friday. This will 
address the problem of “intentional absenteeism” of workers and will therefore positively 
impact on productivity. The longer breaks are also expected to promote domestic tourism 
and the health of the workers by giving them more time for their personal and 
recreational needs. 
Hence, the immediate and favorable passage of this bill is earnestly requested. 
LUISA ~
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P.~JERCITO ESTRADA 
Senator 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHlLPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
I.. 
Introduced by Senator LUISA "LOI" P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
DECLARING ALL OF'FXCIAL NON-WORKING DAYS TO FALL E m R  ON A 
MONDAY OR A FRIDAY 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled 
SECTION 1. All official non-working days except New Year's Day, Christmas 
Day and Independence Day shall be scheduled to fall either on a Monday or a Friday. 
The term "official non-working days" as used in this Act shall include those days 
duly declared and recognized by the government of the Republic of the Philippines 
wherein employees of both the public and private sectors are privileged not to attend 
work because of a national, international or traditional observance or celebration. 
SECTION2. For the purpose of scheduling the official non-working days, the 
following guidelines shall be followed: 
a. 
When the holiday should fall on a Tuesday or Wednesday, the non- 
working day shall be scheduled on the Monday of the same week. 
When the holiday should fall on a Thursday, the non-working day shall be 
scheduled on the Friday of the same week. 
b. 
SECTION 3. All laws, decrees, orders, rules, regulations and other issuances or 
parts thereof inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed. 


SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. 
Approved,