President Rodrigo Duterte signed on May 2 Proclamation No. 479 that officially declares May 14 as a special non-working holiday nationwide. This is to make way for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan or SK elections.
Along with Duterte, Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea signed the proclamation. ABS-CBN took to Twitter to spread the word of the announcement. They tweeted a picture of the signed proclamation as seen below.
The official letter read, “WHEREAS, Monday, 14 May 2018 should be declared a special (non-working) day to enable the people to fully exercise their right of suffrage.”
Originally scheduled on October 23 last year, Republic Act No. 10952 postponed the synchronized Barangay and SK elections were officially moved to the second Monday of May 2018 or May 14, 2018. “WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 10952 provides for the postponement of the 23 October 2017 synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections and the rescheduling of the said elections to the second Monday of May 2018 or 14 May 2018,” was the first paragraph on the letter.
“Now, therefore, I, Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines by virtue of the powers vested in me by law do hereby declare Monday, 14 May 2018, as a special non-working day throughout the country,” Duterte signed.
This the second holiday on the month of May, following Labor Day which was celebrated on May 1st.
2018 upcoming holidays
The next national holidays are Philippine Independence Day on June 12, Ninoy Aquino Day on August 21, National Heroes Day on August 27, Bonifacio Day on November 30, and Rizal Day on December 30.
As for Islamic holidays, Eid al-Fitr is from June 14 to June 15, Eid al-Adha is on August 22 and August 23, Amun Jadid on September 12, and Maulid un-Nabi will be on November 21.
Other holidays include All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on November 1 and 2, respectively. On December 8 is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. And of course Christmas Eve on December 24, Christmas Day on December 25, and New Year’s Eve on December 31.
Here’s the proclamation letter tweeted by ABS-CBN.