The Philippines has 12 regular holidays in 2026 plus 6 special (non-working) days, totaling 18 official non-working days. Plus several special working holidays and additional days announced by Presidential Proclamation.
For the interactive calendar, see Philippines 2026 holidays.
Quick reference: Regular holidays 2026
These 12 regular holidays are codified in the Labor Code of the Philippines:
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Thu | New Year's Day |
| 9 April | Thu | Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) |
| 2 April | Thu | Maundy Thursday |
| 3 April | Fri | Good Friday |
| 1 May | Fri | Labor Day |
| 12 June | Fri | Independence Day |
| 21 August | Fri | Ninoy Aquino Day (Special — see note) |
| 31 August | Mon | National Heroes Day (last Monday August) |
| 30 November | Mon | Bonifacio Day |
| 8 December | Tue | Feast of Immaculate Conception |
| 25 December | Fri | Christmas Day |
| 30 December | Wed | Rizal Day |
Note: Eidul Fitr and Eidul Adha are also regular holidays — dates announced by Presidential Proclamation based on moon-sighting:
- Eidul Fitr 2026: ~Fri 20 March 2026
- Eidul Adha 2026: ~Wed 27 May 2026
Special (non-working) days 2026
These are paid days off but with different pay rules from regular holidays:
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 25 February | Wed | EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary |
| 4 April | Sat | Black Saturday |
| 1 November | Sun | All Saints' Day (substitute Mon 2 Nov) |
| 8 November | Sun | Special working day (varies) |
| 24 December | Thu | Christmas Eve |
| 31 December | Thu | New Year's Eve |
Additional special days may be added by Presidential Proclamation closer to the date.
Holy Week / Lenten holidays — 30 March to 5 April 2026
Filipino Holy Week is a major travel and reflection period:
- 30 March (Mon) — Lunes Santo
- 31 March (Tue) — Martes Santo
- 1 April (Wed) — Miercoles Santo
- 2 April (Thu) — Maundy Thursday (regular holiday)
- 3 April (Fri) — Good Friday (regular holiday)
- 4 April (Sat) — Black Saturday (special)
- 5 April (Sun) — Easter Sunday
Many Filipinos travel home (probinsya) for Holy Week — Manila traffic dramatically drops. Holy Week is the longest possible vacation block for many Filipino workers.
Pay rules — regular vs special holidays
This is a key distinction:
Regular holiday pay (working)
- If you work: 200% of daily rate
- Plus night-shift premium if applicable
Regular holiday pay (not working)
- You receive: 100% of daily rate (paid day off)
Special (non-working) day pay (working)
- If you work: 130% of daily rate
Special (non-working) day pay (not working)
- "No work, no pay" principle applies
- Some employers grant the day paid anyway as company policy
This is why Filipino employees prefer regular holidays to special holidays — the latter doesn't guarantee pay.
Long weekends 2026 in the Philippines
| Long weekend | Days | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 Jan | 4 | New Year's weekend |
| 2-5 Apr | 4 | Holy Week + Easter |
| 9-12 Apr | 4 | Araw ng Kagitingan + weekend |
| 1-3 May | 3 | Labor Day weekend |
| 12-14 Jun | 3 | Independence Day weekend |
| 29-31 Aug | 3 | National Heroes Day weekend |
| 30 Nov-2 Dec | 3 | Bonifacio Day weekend |
| 25-28 Dec | 4 | Christmas weekend |
| 30 Dec-1 Jan | 3 | Rizal Day + New Year's |
For full planning, see Philippines long weekends 2026.
Key Philippine holidays explained
Araw ng Kagitingan — Thursday 9 April 2026
"Day of Valor" — commemorates the fall of Bataan in 1942 to Japanese forces. The Bataan Death March followed. Filipino veterans honored at Mount Samat war memorial.
Labor Day — Friday 1 May 2026
Aligned with international May Day. See Labour Day 2026 worldwide.
Independence Day — Friday 12 June 2026
Celebrates the 1898 declaration of independence from Spanish rule. Note: the US recognized Philippine independence in 1946, but Filipinos celebrate 1898 instead. Flag-raising at Rizal Park in Manila.
National Heroes Day — Monday 31 August 2026
Honors all unnamed heroes who fought for Philippine independence. The last Monday of August.
Bonifacio Day — Monday 30 November 2026
Birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio (1863), founder of the Katipunan secret society that sparked the 1896 revolution against Spain.
Rizal Day — Wednesday 30 December 2026
Death anniversary of José Rizal (1896) — national hero and writer of Noli Me Tangere, executed by Spanish authorities. Strangely, Filipino schools start their Christmas break around Rizal Day rather than Christmas Day.
EDSA People Power Anniversary — Wednesday 25 February 2026
Commemorates the 1986 People Power Revolution that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos and installed Corazon Aquino. Mass gatherings at EDSA Shrine, Quezon City.
Religious significance
The Philippines is ~80% Catholic — one of two majority-Catholic countries in Asia (alongside East Timor). This explains:
- Major Holy Week observances
- Christmas season starts in September (longest in the world!)
- Marian feast days (Immaculate Conception 8 Dec)
There's also a significant Muslim minority (~6%, mostly in Mindanao). Eidul Fitr and Eidul Adha are regular holidays nationwide.
Banks and government services
- Banks: closed on all regular holidays and special non-working days
- BSP (Bangko Sentral): declares which special days are bank holidays
- PSE (Philippine Stock Exchange): closed on regular holidays
- LRT/MRT: operates on holiday schedule (often reduced frequency)
Greetings
- Maligayang Bagong Taon — Happy New Year
- Maligayang Pasko — Merry Christmas
- Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan — Happy Independence Day
- Mapayapang Mahal na Araw — Peaceful Holy Week
- Maligayang Bagong Buwan — Happy New Month (used for important first-of-month days)
Related references
- Philippines 2026 holidays calendar
- Philippines long weekends 2026
- Christmas countdown 2026
- Holy Week / Easter dates 2026
- Ramadan 2026 Eidul Fitr
- Independence Day detail
- Rizal Day detail
Philippine holiday lists confirmed by annual Presidential Proclamation. Some dates (Eidul Fitr, Eidul Adha) finalized closer to the date based on moon-sighting.