#WalangPasok – August 19 2021 declared holiday in Quezon City
The Philippines will be making the 143rd birth anniversary of President Manuel L. Quezon this August 19, Thursday. The day is a special non-working holiday in Quezon City as well as the provinces of Aurora and Quezon as mandated by Republic Act 6741. It is a working holiday in the rest of the Philippines. The law was enacted during the term of the late President Corazon Aquino. Read the full text of RA 6741 in this link.
Quezon is the country’s second president, having served from 1935 until his death in 1944. He is also the third longest-serving president in Philippine history, behind Ferdinand Marcos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
He was the first of three presidents that led the country during the Commonwealth years. As frequently mentioned in history books, it is a ten-year transition period beginning in 1935 before the United States granted the Philippines independence. That period of guided self-governance was interrupted by Japanese occupation during World War II.
Quezon City was officially created in 1939 through Commonwealth Act #502, which was passed during the term of President Manuel Quezon. By 1948, Quezon City was proclaimed the capital city and the seat of the national government through Republic Act 333 which was signed into law by then President Elpidio Quirino. It remained that way until 1976, when Ferdinand Marcos signed Presidential Decree 940 which made Manila once again the capital city of the country.
According to the 2020 DOLE handbook on workers statutory monetary benefits, the “no work, no pay” principle applies during special non-working holidays. Meaning, workers who are not required or permitted to work on special non-working days are not entitled to any compensation unless there is a collective bargaining agreement or a company policy that provides for that.
The handbook likewise highlighted that employees who work during special non-working days are entitled to receive an additional pay of 30% for every hour that they render service.
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