‘Special working holidays’ to make up for ‘lost time’, says Palace

MANILA, Philippines — The “special working days” for 2021 are meant to “recover for lost time” after the country went on almost a year of “vacation” due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Malacañang said Tuesday.

This was presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s response to calls for a reversal of the proclamation declaring November 2 and December 24 and 31 as “special working holidays” to spur the economy.

“Yan po ay dahil sa advice ng economic team, napakatagal na po nating nakabakasyon. Halos isang taon na tayo nagbakasyon dahil sa COVID-19,” Roque said in an online briefing.

(That’s the advice of the economic team, we have been on vacation for too long. We’ve been vacationing for nearly a year due to COVID-19.)

“Siguro po, ngayong nandito na ang bakuna, hayaan na nating makarecover tayo for lost time,” he added.

(Since the vaccine is here, allow us to recover for lost time.)

Despite this, Roque said “nothing’s etched in stone” yet.

“Tignan po natin baka naman dahil may bakuna na eh makabalik na tayo sa dati at hindi na natin kinakailangan maghabol pa,” he said.

(Let’s see if now that we have the vaccine, we might return to what it used to be and won’t need to catch up.)

Senator Risa Hontiveros urged Malacañang to reverse the decision declaring November 2 and December 24 and 31 “special working holidays.”

READ: Palace urged to reverse Duterte proclamation on making Nov. 2, Dec. 24, Dec. 31 ‘special working holidays’

Due to the proclamation, Hontiveros said employees who would report to work during these dates will no longer be entitled to additional holiday pay of 30 percent of their daily basic wage, which is granted to workers during special non-working holidays.

KGA