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How DOLE’s 2025 Holiday Pay Rules Work

Planning your vacation days close to holidays, special working days, and special non-working holidays? Here’s how DOLE’s pay rules work

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Photo by Patrick Amoy on Unsplash

We have three different kinds of holidays, which complicates the country’s holiday pay rules. Thankfully, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) thoroughly lays out the rules, which they remind employers and employees of through labor advisories on their website.

As a general rule, the Labor Code requires that employers give their employees holiday pay equal to their regular wage. Failure to do so results in penalties and liability for unpaid wages on the employer. However, according to DOLE, employees who are on “leave without pay” immediately before a holiday are not eligible for holiday pay, unless they compensate by working on the holiday.

Still unsure if you’re eligible for holiday pay? Here are DOLE’s rules and how to compute your pay.

Regular Holidays

For regular holidays, the following rules apply, according to Labor Advisory No. 16, series of 2024, which was released in November 2024.

  1. If the employee does not work on the regular holiday, the employer shall pay 100 percent of the employee’s wage for that day, provided that the employee reports to work or is on leave with pay the day before.
  2. If the day before the regular holiday is a non-working day, or the scheduled rest day of the employee, they are still entitled to 100 percent of basic wage if they report to work or are on leave of absence with pay on the previous working day.
  3. For work done during the regular holiday, the employer shall pay a total of 200 percent of the employee’s wage for that day.
  4. For work exceeding eight hours, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate (hourly rate of the basic wage x 200 percent x 130 percent x number of hours worked).
  5. For work done during a regular holiday that also falls on the employee’s rest day, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 30 percent of the basic wage of 200 percent (basic wage x 200 percent × 130 percent).
  6. For work exceeding eight hours during a regular holiday that also falls on the employee’s rest day, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate  (hourly rate of the basic wage x 200 percent x 130 percent x 130 percent x number of hours worked).

The regular holidays for 2025 are:

  • New Year’s Day – January 1 (Wednesday) 
  • Araw ng Kagitingan – April 9 (Wednesday)
  • Maundy Thursday – April 17
  • Good Friday – April 18
  • Labor Day – May 1 (Thursday)
  • Independence Day – June 12 (Thursday)
  • National Heroes Day – August 25 (Last Monday of August)
  • Bonifacio Day – November 30 (Sunday)
  • Christmas Day – December 25 (Thursday)
  • Rizal Day – December 30 (Tuesday)

Special Non-Working Holidays

For special non-working holidays, the following rules apply, according to Labor Advisory No. 1, series of 2025, which was released on January 21.

  1. lf the employee does not work, the “no work, no pay” principle shall apply unless there is a company policy, practice, or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) granting payment on a special day.
  2. For work done during the special day, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 30 percent of the basic wage on the first eight hours of work (basic wage x 130 percent).
  3. For work exceeding eight hours, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate (hourly rate of the basic wage x 130 percent x 130 percent x number of hours worked).
  4. For work done during the special day that also falls on the employee’s rest day, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 50 percent of the basic wage on the first eight hours of work (basic wage x 150 percent).
  5. For work exceeding eight hours during the special day that also falls on the employee’s rest day, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate  (hourly rate of the basic wage x 150 percent x 130 percent x number of hours worked).

The special non-working holidays for 2025 are:

  • Chinese New Year – January 29 (Wednesday)
  • Black Saturday – April 19 (Saturday)
  • Iglesia Ni Cristo Anniversary – July 27 (Sunday)
  • Ninoy Aquino Day – August 21 (Thursday)
  • All Saints’ Day Eve – October 31 (Friday)
  • All Saints’ Day – November 1 (Saturday)
  • Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary – December 8 (Monday)
  • Christmas Eve – December 24 (Wednesday)
  • Last Day of the Year – December 31 (Wednesday)

Special Working Day

For the special working day, the following rules apply, according to Labor Advisory No. 16, series of 2024, which was released in November 2024.

  1. It shall be considered as an ordinary working day for the purpose of payment of wage and wage-related benefits.
  2. If the employee does not work, the “no work, no pay” principle shall apply unless there is a company policy, practice, or CBA granting payment on a special working day.
  3. For work done on an ordinary working day, the employer shall pay 100 percent of the employee’s wage for that day for the first eight hours (basic wage x 100 percent).
  4. For work exceeding eight hours, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 25 percent of the hourly rate (hourly rate of the basic wage x 125 percent).

For 2025, only the EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary on February 25 was declared a special working day.

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