October 26, 2012 is Holiday "Eidul Adha" : Long Weekend for Pinoys

Pinoys who complained about this year's fewer long weekends, listen up: There's one long weekend in the last week of October.

The Palace has declared Oct. 26, Friday, a regular holiday in celebration of the Islamic feast of Eidul Adha (Feast of Sacrifice).

"[E]idul Adha is one of the two greatest feasts of Islam," Proclamation No. 488 said.

It commemorates Abraham's sacrifice of his son Ishmael in obedience to God.

"[T]he date of the festival is based on the declaration made by Saudi Arabia's highest religious body," the Palace said, adding the Oct. 26 was recommended by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.

The announcement raises the number of long weekends to four this year, following Proclamation 459 which declared 17 holidays, three of them extending weekends.

Under the Labor department's pay rules, employees not working on regular holidays are still entitled to 100 percent of their regular daily rate,  "provided that they [they were] present, or [were] on leave with pay on the workday immediately preceding the holiday."

Employees who work on a regular holiday that also fall on their rest days, meanwhile, will be entitled to 200 percent of the daily rate for the first eight hours and an additional 30 percent for additional hours.

On special non-working days, the following shall apply:

"a. If the day is unworked, the 'no work, no pay' principle shall apply unless there is a favorable company policy, practice or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) granting payment on a special day even if the day is unworked.

b. If worked, the employee shall be paid an additional 30 percent of the daily rate of 100 percent on the first eight hours of work. In excess of eight hours, he/she shall be paid an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate on said day.

c. If the day falls on the employee's rest day and is worked, he/she shall be paid an additional 50 percent of the daily rate of 100 percent on the first eight hours of work. In excess of eight hours, he/she shall be paid an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate."C