An amendment to the Philippine holidays declared earlier this year, the government has announced that Nov. 27 and 28 are no longer national holidays.

This would be a bad news really for those who already made plans for a long weekend with the supposed-to-be holidays on last part of this month.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued last Monday Proclamation No. 1808-A, amending the original Proclamation No. 1808 which declared Nov. 27 and 28 as national holidays in celebration of the Muslim feast of Eid’l Adha.

In her proclamation, President Arroyo cited the provision of Republic Act 9492, the law rationalizing the country’s holidays, which states that Eid’l Adha shall be celebrated as a regional holidays in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

So it will be just a three-day weekend, with Nov. 30, Monday a regular holiday commemorating Bonifacio Day, instead of a 5-day weekend based on the original proclamation.

Malacañang announced the 2010 holidays early to give way to the clamor of the business sector.

Pursuant to Republic Act 9492, which provides that holidays, except those religious in nature, be moved to the nearest Monday, President Arroyo signed on July 21, 2009 Proclamation 1841 declaring the special non-working days and special holidays for 2010.

The schedules of the holidays for 2010 are as follows:

The regular holidays in the Philippines under Proclamation 1699 are:
- New Year’s Day (January 1)
- Maundy Thursday (April 1)
- Good Friday (April 2)
- Labor Day (May 1)
- National Heroes’ Day – last Monday of August (August 31)
- Christmas Day (December 25)

Regular holidays which were moved to Mondays are:
- Independence Day – June 14 (Monday nearest to June 12)
- Bonifacio Day – November 29 (Monday nearest to November 30)
- Rizal Day – December 27 (Monday nearest to December 30)

Special non-working days (Proclamation 1841) are:
- EDSA revolution – February 22 (Monday nearest to February 25) Note: special holiday for all schools.
- Ninoy Aquino Day – August 23 (Monday nearest to August 21)
- All Saints Day – November 1
- December 24 – which is the day before Christmas (Friday)
- Last day of the Year – December 31

The declaration of December 24 (non-working day) and December 27 (Rizal’s Day) provides a four-day Christmas weekend for Filipino families next year.

The Muslim’s holidays, Eid’l Fitr (end of Ramadan) and Eid’l Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) will be announced later when the Office on Muslim Affairs confirms to the Office of the President on which days the holidays shall fall.

The list of holidays for 2010 was issued early to help entrepreneurs and schools prepare for them.

I just would like to reiterate this list of schedule of holidays is 2010, please don’t be confused.