A public holiday, legal holiday, or national holiday is a holiday established by law and considered a non-working day. The Philippines celebrates different types of public holidays every year. Some of the most important ones include Good Friday, Black Saturday, Easter Sunday, Bataan Day, and Ninoy Aquino Day. Bataan Day or the Day of Valor in the Philippines is celebrated every April 9 while Ninoy Aquino Day is celebrated every August 21. On the other hand, Good Friday, Black Saturday, and Easter Sunday are celebrated each year as well but their date varies between March and April. Let us go through each of these public holidays in the Philippines in chronological order so that you will be able to know more facts about the Philippine Holidays.
List of National Public holidays of Philippines
| Day | Date | Holiday | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | January 01 | New Year’s Day | Regular holiday |
| Saturday | January 02 | New Year’s Holiday | Government, universities, and colleges |
| Friday | February 12 | Chinese New Year | Special non-working day |
| Thursday | February 18 | People Power Revolution | Special non-working day |
| Tuesday | March 16 | Davao City Day | Davao City only. Marks the creation of the city |
| Friday | April 09 | The Day of Valor | Regular holiday |
| Thursday | April 01 | Maundy Thursday | Regular holiday |
| Friday | April 02 | Good Friday | Regular holiday |
| Saturday | April 03 | Black Saturday | Special Non-working day |
| Saturday | May 01 | Labor Day | Regular holiday |
| Wed – Thu | May 12 – 13 | Eid’l Fitr | The Feast of Ramadan. Date to be confirmed. |
| Saturday | June 12 | Independence Day | Regular holiday |
| Thursday | June 24 | Manila Day | Manila only. Marks the foundation of the city |
| Mon – Tue | July 19 – 20 | Eidul Adha | Sacrifice Feast. Date to be confirmed. |
| Saturday | August 21 | Ninoy Aquino Day | Special Non-working day |
| Thursday | September | National Heroes Day | Regular holiday. Last Monday of August |
| Monday | November 01 | All Saints’ Day | Special Non-working day |
| Tuesday | November 02 | All Souls’ Day | Additional Special Non-Working Day |
| Tuesday | November 30 | Bonifacio Day | Regular holiday |
| Wednesday | December 08 | Immaculate Conception Day | Special non-working holiday from |
| Friday | December 24 | Christmas Eve | Additional Special Non-Working Day |
| Saturday | December 25 | Christmas Day | Regular holiday |
| Sunday | December 26 | Boxing Day | Event |
| Thursday | December 30 | Rizal Day | Regular holiday |
| Friday | December 31 | New Year’s Eve | Special Non-working day |
The Philippines is a country that is rich in culture and traditions. It celebrates various holidays all year round from the beginning of January up until the end of December. In fact, the Philippine is considered to be the longest celebrant of the Christmas season because it does so for four months – from September to December. In addition, since the Philippines is largely a Catholic and Christian country, citizens celebrate the holy week – from the crucifixion of Jesus Christ until his resurrection – which is composed of Good Friday, Black Saturday, and Easter Sunday.
The Capital of the Philippines
The Capital City of the Philippines in Manila. Usually, when foreigners say that they are going to Manila, it means that they are going to the Philippines. But one important thing that people should remember is that Manila is a part of Metro Manila. Metro Manila is composed of the various highly urbanized cities that are located together. Such cities include Manila, Pasay, Pasig, Taguig, Makati, and more.
Trending in the Philippines
Various topics and issues are trending in the Philippines right now. But the most important one is the upcoming Philippine elections on May where people get to vote for senators and public officials in local government units.
Currency in the Philippines
The official currency of the Philippines is called the Philippine Peso. It shares a similar name with the Mexican Peso but these currencies are different from each other. The representation of the Philippine Peso is ₱.
Religion in the Philippines
The dominants religion of the Philippines is Christianity. Of all the denominations of Christianity, most Filipinos are Catholics. In the southern part of the Philippines in Mindanao, the dominant religion is Islam.
Philippine Dial Code
The dialing code of the Philippines is +63.
Crime Rate in the Philippines
According to data from the Philippine National Police (PNP), in , the nationwide crime rate of the Philippines dropped by 21.48 percent. However, the murder rate in Metro Manila is up by 112 percent. One of the major reasons why such murder rate has increased was the anti-drug policies of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Airlines of the Philippines
The dominant airlines in the Philippines are PAL Express, Philippine Airlines, and Cebu Pacific. These airlines compete against each other in an oligopolistic market.
PAL Express – it was founded as Air Philippines and started its operations in 1996. Its major hubs are located in Manila, Cebu, Clark, Davao, and Zamboanga.
Philippine Airlines – it was founded as Philippine Aerial Taxi Company and began its operations in 1941as Philippine Air Lines which is the very first airline in the country. Its major hubs are located in Manila, Cebu, Clark, Davao, and Kalibo.
Cebu Pacific – it was founded as Cebu Air and started its operations in 1996 as Cebu Pacific. Its major hubs are in Manila, Cagayan de Oro, Clark, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Kalibo, and Zamboanga.
Land Area of the Philippines
The total land area of the Philippines is 300,000 square kilometers or 120,000 square miles which rank 72nd in the world. The Philippines is somehow a small country compared to other countries around the world.
The economy of the Philippines
The Economy of the Philippines is a stable one and remains to be one of the top ones in South East Asia. The estimated GDP of the Philippines in is 1.041 trillion US dollars which rank 27th in the world.
Sports in the Philippines
The national sports of the Philippines is called Sepak Takraw. Various competitions are held for this sports event each year. However, the most popular sports in the Philippines is basketball. Many Filipinos are fans of NBA in America. They even have their own version called the Philippine Basketball Association or PBA. Another popular sport in the Philippines is boxing, especially made popular by world-renowned boxer Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao.
Apart from those, the Philippines is rich in history since various countries tried to occupy it for its richness in natural resources. Many Filipinos sacrificed themselves for the freedom of the country. They are referred to as heroes. Fallen soldiers from the Bataan Death March are commemorated during the Bataan Day. Politicians like Ninoy Aquino also made a significant contribution to the country and hence Filipinos celebrate Ninoy Aquino Day. All these important events are celebrated in the Philippines as holidays. Let us discuss some of the holidays in the Philippines, especially those that are already near.
Good Friday
For Christians and Catholics, Good Friday is one special day wherein they commemorate the passion, suffering, and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ when he died on the cross to save the lives of the people. This one-day celebration is just a part of the week-long celebration called the holy week or the Lenten season. Maundy Thursday precedes Good Friday, which in turn is succeeded by Black Saturday and Easter Sunday. Let us first go through Good Friday since it is an important portion of the Philippine Holidays.
Black Saturday
Another holiday in the Philippines which is a part of the holy week or Lenten season is Black Saturday. Black Saturday is a part of the week-long celebration of the holy week. It is considered to be the final day of the Holy Week and is followed by the Easter Sunday. Black Saturday is usually celebrated solemnly since it marks the day after Jesus Christ died a sacrificed himself on the cross. Black Saturday is a significant part of the holy week and largely celebrated by Catholics and Christians around the world especially in the Philippines. It is also a major part of the Philippine Holidays.
Easter Sunday
The last day of the holy week is Black Saturday. After all the mourning and sorrowful celebration, Easter Sunday symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death and his ascension to heaven. Catholics and Christians alike celebrate the Easter Sunday and consider this as perhaps the most celebrated and significant part of the Lenten Season. Easter Sunday is considered to be a part of the Philippine Holidays.
Bataan Day
Holidays in the Philippines are not just of the nature of religion, culture, and traditions. There are also holidays in the Philippines that pay tribute to significant people who have made great contributions to the country. Some of those are Bataan Day and Ninoy Aquino day, both of which are already near and close to the holy week holidays. Let us first go through Bataan Day which is an important part of the upcoming Philippine Holidays .
Ninoy Aquino Day
Yet another important Philippine holiday is Ninoy Aquino Day. this day commemorates the death and assassination of former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr or more commonly known as Ninoy Aquino. He is considered as a hero in the Philippines because of his fight for freedom and democracy during the tyranny of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
And that’s it for some of the most important holidays in the Philippines. It is good to know them since Philippine Holidays is so near. We were able to cover the holy week which includes Good Friday, Black Saturday, and Easter Sunday. We were also able to discuss Bataan Day and Ninoy Aquino Day. May all the information provided here help you towards understanding better these significant holidays in the Philippines. If you will join in the celebration, then you should take note of the quotes, messages, and status given above so that you may share those with your friends online.