June 6 & 11, 2012 holiday – Zamboanga del Norte and Rizal
Two Philippine provinces will be having a special non-working holiday within the next seven days. Zamboanga del Norte will mark its 60th foundation day on Wednesday, June 6 while Rizal will celebrate its 111th year of existence next Monday, June 11.
Malacanang has made the declaration through Presidential Proclamation 280 (for Zamboanga del Norte) and Proclamation 277 (for Rizal province). Click here and here to download the said proclamations. Both declarations aim to give residents of the two provinces “the full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.”
Zamboanga del Norte came into being in 1952 by virtue of Republic Act 711. Filed by then-Congressman Roseller Lim, the law divided Zamboanga into Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur. Dipolog was designated as the capital of the former. A third province in the Western Mindanao peninsula, Zamboanga Sibugay, was created in 2001.
Meanwhile, Rizal province came into being in June 11, 1901 by virtue of Act No. 137 of the Second Philippine Commission. The commission, led by William Howard Taft, acted on the suggestion made by Dr. Trinidad Pardo de Tavero five days earlier regarding the unification of both Manila and Morong into one province. It was composed initially of 19 towns of Manila Province, and 14 municipalities of Morong Politico-Military District.
Since these two occasions are merely local in nature, employees are not entitled to receive a double pay in case they report for work on these days. According to rules set by the Department of Labor and Employment, they will get an additional of 30% to their regular pay for the first eight hours of service rendered. Employees who will work beyond eight hours are supposed to receive another plus 30% to their pay rate on this particular day.
Lastly, those who opt to stay at home and avail of the vacation will not be paid “unless there is a favorable company policy, practice or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) granting payment of wages on special days even if unworked.”
As mentioned in previous posts pertaining to holidays, it is a must for employees to be present in the work day before a scheduled holiday. DOLE’s Handbook on Worker’s Statutory Monetary Benefits (released in 2010) states that an employee is entitled to a holiday premium only when “he/she is present or is on leave of absence with pay on the work day immediately preceding the holiday.” Download the 2010 handbook in this link.
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