The city government is pushing to have four special non-working holidays next year.
The requested special holidays are March 1, March 16, August 21, and August 24 in time for two of the city’s major celebrations.
As requested by the Office of the City Mayor, the city councilors are currently working to pass a resolution requesting Malacanang to approve the breaks.
Last Thursday, the Council already passed the resolution asking for the declaration of Aug. 21 and Aug. 24 as holidays.
The legislators will discuss on Tuesday the inclusion of March 1 and 16 in the request.
Councilor J. Melchor Quitain Jr. said they are rushing the request “because starting January 2020, the City Mayor will also start to mobilize and plan (for Araw ng Davao and Kadayawan sa Davao).”
“It should be prepared not a week before or a month before, it should be months before,” Quitain said.
After the Council’s approval, the resolution will be forwarded to the Office of the President for approval.
In a letter forwarded to the city council last Dec. 5, City Administrator Atty. Zuleika Lopez said the early declaration “will enable employers, banks, schools, and other institutions to take note of these holidays in their schedule.”
The requested special non-working holidays are:
March 1 (Sunday) – Araw ng Dabaw
March 16 (Monday) – Parada Dabawenyo in relation to Araw ng Dabaw
August 21 (Friday) – Indigenous People’s Day in relation to Kadayawan Festival
August 24 (Monday) – Araw ng Pasasalamat in relation also to the Kadayawan Festival.
For decades, the city celebrated Araw ng Davao on March 16, making it the special non-working holidays.
“But since the President signed the law declaring March 1 as the official Araw ng Dabaw, we moved it to March 1. We still considered March 16 as a holiday as it is already been marked to us that March 16 is an official holiday. Besides, there will be an activity provided for that day,” Quitain said.
March 1 has been declared as the official start of the Araw ng Dabaw per Republic Act 11379, which President Rodrigo Duterte signed last September.
If approved, Aug. 21 will become a double holiday in the city as it is also Ninoy Aquino Day.
