In an effort to improve the competitiveness of Philippine businesses, the Senate is looking at the potential of unifying the honoring of past presidents into a single holiday, similar to Presidents’ Day in the US.
Numerous laws that will be discussed in the final sessions of the Senate, according to Senate President Francis Escudero, are holiday bills. He mentioned calls to take less holidays as well.
“Yung holiday nagkasundo ang senado na limitahin and holiday. Mahigit isang buwan na ang holiday sa buong bansa, which makes Philippine companies and workers less competitive,” Escudero pointed out during the press briefing.
The Senate agreed to limit the holidays as it takes more than one month in the country which makes Philippine companies and workers less productive.
In addition to religious holidays, Escudero expressed that there are other holidays observed at the city, municipal, provincial, and national levels.
He explained how the United States provides a vacation for former chief executives. Presidents’ Day originated as the birthday of George Washington, who was the first US president. It later became a holiday honoring all American presidents.
“Lahat ng magagaling nilang presidente, pinagsama nila sa isang araw nalang na holiday,” he said.
However, he recognized that it might cause a split. Escudero said he gave the Senate the orders to study the idea of imitating President’s Day in the United States.
The president of the Senate declared that although the proposal could be presented and allowed to proceed, the measure does not need to be implemented right away.
Photo courtesy: Daily Guardian