Malacañang has defended the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to lessen the number of special holidays this year, saying the move will “boost economic productivity in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The rationale there is because of COVID-19, there were times when our workers were not able to report for work. So now that we have the vaccine, we need to recover lost time,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said on Monday.
On Friday, Duterte signed Proclamation No. 1107 declaring three November 2 (All Souls’ Day), December 24 (Christmas Eve), and December 31 (New Year’s Eve) as special working days.
“For the country to recover from the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19, there is a need to encourage economic productivity by, among others, minimizing work disruption and commemorating some special holidays as special (working) days instead,” Duterte said in his proclamation.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, for her part, said the new holiday policy was “counterproductive and harmful for the workforce.
Hontiveros said this would mean reduced holiday pay which is granted to workers during special non-working holidays.
“While we understand the need to increase economic productivity, demoting special Filipino holidays to special working holidays will only burden and demoralize Filipino workers, many of whom are already underpaid and struggling with high prices of goods,” she said.
“Why are we taking away an opportunity for our fellow citizens to earn more, especially now that many are facing hardships?” Hontiveros added.
On Sunday, Vice President Leni Robredo also criticized the decision to lessen the special holidays.
“There are so many ways (to boost economic reopening), but why did they settle with this?” she said.
