August 21 2016 Philippine holiday – Ninoy Aquino day
The country will commemorate the 33rd death anniversary of the late former Senator and democracy fighter Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. this August 21, which this year falls on a Sunday.
It is a non-working holiday nationwide as stipulated in Republic Act (RA) 9256, which then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed in 2004. Access RA 9256 in this link.
Former President Benigno Aquino III, Ninoy’s only son, referenced this law in his Proclamation 1105, which listed all the regular and special holidays for 2016. Read more about Proclamation 1105 through this post from August 2015.
Some may be asking if it is possible for President Rodrigo Duterte to move the holiday to August 22 to give Filipinos a long weekend, a practice initiated by Arroyo but discontinued by Aquino. That is not likely due to Duterte’s political ties to the Marcos family, the Cojuangco-Aquino clan’s mortal enemy. Also, keep in mind the President’s general aversion to disruptive public occasions (one reason why June 30, his Inauguration day, wasn’t declared a holiday).
The next holiday will be the National Heroes Day, which will be observed on August 29. Since that falls on Monday, it will pave the way for a three-day weekend for most Filipinos.
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