Filipinos can look forward to two long weekends in April

Filipinos can look forward to two long weekends in April. The first will fall on the Holy Week starting April 1 (Maundy Thursday) to April 4 (Easter Sunday). The second long weekend will be on April 9 (Friday) for the annual commemoration of the Araw nang Kagitingan. April 9 has been declared as regular non-working holiday. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, meanwhile, declared April 3 (Black Saturday) as a special non-working holiday throughout the country, while April 1 and 2 are declared as regular, movable non-working holiday. “Movable" holidays are dates that usually fall within the five-day workweek. President Arroyo occasionally “moves" these holidays to either Monday or Friday. Besides extending weekends, the move helps promote “tourism economics," encouraging families to take vacations. There are at least 11 long weekends in the country. Most of them fall on the months of April, August, November, and December. (See: Planning your holidays? There are 11 long weekends in 2010) - Aie Balagtas See, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV