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Public holidays and celebrations in the Philippines
The Philippine calendar has legal categories that matter: regular holidays, special non-working days and special working days do not carry identical employment consequences. The national proclamation is then supplemented by separately announced Eid dates and a steady stream of local city, municipal and provincial holidays.
Last verified 30 August 2026
The useful calendar rule
What should a relocating family plan around?
Use Proclamation No. 1006 for the 2026 national baseline, add later presidential Eid proclamations, then search the current local proclamations for the family’s city or province. Holy Week, Christmas and local fiestas can create a much longer operating effect than the named legal days. For schools, use the exact campus calendar; the public system began a three-term calendar in 2026–27.
One date, several authorities
Build the calendar in four layers
A public-holiday app is a prompt, not proof that a school, bank, clinic or employer will operate in a particular way.
Regular holidays
Ten named 2026 dates plus Eid holidays declared separately carry the regular-holiday category.
Special non-working days
National special days include Ninoy Aquino Day, All Saints, Immaculate Conception and year-end additions.
Special working day
EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary was listed as a special working day in 2026.
Local proclamations
Founding days and festivals can create a non-working day only in a named city, municipality or province.
The visual calendar
The calendar changes as the family crosses a boundary
National category, locality, school and transport route all decide whether a date changes the day.
Presidential proclamation
The regular and special national baseline.
Separately declared Eid
Dates follow the Islamic calendar and later proclamation.
City or province day
A special day can stop exactly at an administrative boundary.
Island movement
Ferry, flight, road and weather turn one legal day into a travel window.
2026 planning table
Anchor dates and their real family effect
Dates shown are verified for 2026 or clearly marked as annual/lunar patterns. Recheck before booking future years. Swipe on smaller screens.
| Date | Holiday or period | Status | What changes for a family |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 February 2026 | Chinese New Year | Additional special non-working day | Community celebrations and a national special-day employment category. |
| 2–4 April 2026 | Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Black Saturday | Regular then additional special non-working days | Major Holy Week travel and broad service reduction. |
| 9 April | Araw ng Kagitingan | Regular holiday | National commemoration; school and civic programming. |
| 12 June | Independence Day | Regular holiday | Civic ceremonies and local road effects. |
| 21 and 31 August | Ninoy Aquino Day and National Heroes Day | Special non-working / regular | Different legal categories despite the same month. |
| 1–2 November | All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days | Special non-working days in 2026 | Large cemetery visits, family travel and traffic. |
| 24–25 December | Christmas Eve and Christmas Day | Additional special non-working / regular | Very strong family travel and extended informal closures. |
| 30–31 December | Rizal Day and last day of year | Regular / special non-working | Year-end service and transport pressure. |
Beyond legal closure
Celebrations that shape the family week
Not every important celebration is a national day off; local meaning, travel and school activity can be more useful than its legal category.
Holy Week
A major Christian worship, family and travel period.
Christmas season
Family, school, church and community celebration begins well before the legal days.
Local fiestas
Patronal, civic and cultural events can combine worship, reunion and street activity.
Ramadan and Eid
Nationally recognised holidays with strongest local impact in Muslim communities.
Book, confirm, buffer
Four systems that feel the holiday first
Research these from home and save the provider-specific answer beside the date.
Archipelago travel
Do early: Book Christmas, Holy Week and fiesta routes early.
Holiday category
Do early: Ask HR which legal category applies.
School
Do early: Use the campus’s three-term or private calendar.
Local proclamation
Do early: Monitor the city/province after the national list is published.
Connect the calendar
Link celebrations to culture, transport and school
Common questions
Questions about holidays in the Philippines
What is the difference between a regular holiday and a special non-working day?
They are distinct legal categories with different employment and pay treatment. Employees and employers should use current Department of Labor guidance rather than treating both as simply ‘closed’.
Were Eid dates included in Proclamation No. 1006?
The proclamation states that Eidul Fitr and Eidul Adha dates are issued later after determination under the Islamic calendar and recommendation from the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.
Can a city have a holiday that the next city does not?
Yes. Presidential proclamations regularly declare special non-working days for named cities, municipalities or provinces. Check the exact home, school and work addresses.
Is EDSA anniversary a day off in 2026?
Proclamation No. 1006 listed 25 February 2026 as a special working day, not a special non-working day.
How long does the Philippines close for Christmas?
The legal national days are only part of the operating pattern. School events, family travel and employer closures can extend across December. Confirm each institution rather than assuming a national shutdown length.
Did public schools change calendars in 2026?
DepEd introduced a three-term calendar for school year 2026–27, opening 8 June 2026 and ending 8 April 2027. Private and international schools still require their exact campus calendar.