December 26, 2009: Holiday?
I’ve received many inquiries regarding the possibility of having December 26, 2009 (a Saturday) declared a holiday via Presidential Proclamation so that those having to work on such a day could enjoy an uninterrupted 4-day weekend.
While it’s quite possible for the date to be declared a holiday, it’s also quite rare that the President actually does that.
Imagine, what if, for argument’s sake, that instead of declaring Thursday, 24 December a holiday, the Government decided to implement it Saturday, 26 December, you’d hear a lot of “noise” from both the private and government sectors alike. For many of the “working class” who are on a 5-day workweek, a Saturday holiday wouldn’t have any impact at all. Only those who work 6 days would be thankful for it.
Now if the Thursday were declared, as it actually has been, thru Proclamation 1699, then more people would benefit from it.
Which would bring us to the next point.
What of the BPO, electronics and other similar industries? Too many holidays and they request for exemptions.
What if both Thursday AND Saturday were declared holidays? For those in the first scenario (5-day workweek) it wouldn’t matter. For the employees in the second scenario, they’d be very thankful and happy. But what of their employers? What if their business required them to work on that day (to avoid losses, etc)? That would mean additional cost (+30% overtime pay for a special holiday).
Anyway, the bottom line here is – let’s just enjoy what free days we get from the Government and our employers. Anything in excess is a “thank you” already. Don’t wish for too much of a good thing. If it comes, well and good for us.
Oh, don’t take me wrong, I’m not against holidays. But lets put things in perspective before we wish for so many things. Hindi naman masama mangarap.
But as of today, 10 December, there are no further Christmas holiday declarations for the rest of the year.
Update as of 26 December 2009 @ 11:10 PM- nope, it wasn’t declared a holiday.
RT @council: December 26, 2009: Holiday? http://bit.ly/6gin10