Aquino cites reasons for doing away with holiday economics

President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday said the government's move to do away with the holiday economics policy for 2011 is for the purpose of commemorating holidays on their proper dates and to avoid disruptions in the economy. Malacañang's Proclamation No. 84 has listed all the holidays for 2011 and put their commemorations back to their original dates. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's holiday economics policy, embodied in Republic Act 9492, moved national holidays, except those religious in nature, to the nearest Monday. "Under the holiday economics policy, we commemorated several holidays on days far from their original dates. The point [of putting them back to their dates] is one, to pay the proper respects," Aquino told reporters in a chance interview in Quezon City. "Number two, nakakabawas din ng disruption sa ating ekonomiya, yung natiyempo na nasa weekend dun na natin nilagay para yung pagkakataong kumita yung mga arawang sumasahod e talagang mapanatili," he siad. (This also reduces disruption in the economy, those that fell on weekends will be commemorated on weekends so people can continue earning their wages on the days when they're supposed to.) Aquino said the decision to do away with the holiday economics policy for next year was his own. "No group lobbied for it," he said. The holiday economics policy was meant to boost domestic tourism and stimulate the local economy by giving the public longer weekends. Only at least three holidays will give the public long weekends next year under Proclamation No. 84. These are Maundy Thursday and Good Friday; National Heroes' Day (August 29, the last Monday of August); and Rizal Day (December 30, Friday). For students, there will be four long weekends after the EDSA People Power uprising Anniversary on February 25 (Friday), which has been declared a special holiday for schools. Aquino has the discretion to move to the nearest Monday or maintain the commemoration of holidays that are not religious in nature because RA 9492 says the said holidays can be moved "unless otherwise modified by law, and/or proclamation." — LBG/KBK, GMANews.TV