Biz groups oppose more holidays

Three large local business groups are opposing measures seeking to increase the number of holidays in the country, emphasizing the negative impact of these additions on labor productivity and cost of doing business.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) and Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) have jointly expressed concern over various holiday bills pending before the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture, which is chaired by Sen. Francis Escudero.

The groups particularly bucked Senate Bill 304, 404, and 865 declaring July 27 of every year a special non-working holiday to commemorate the founding anniversary of Iglesia ni Cristo.

“It is understood that the said bills are well-intentioned. However, it raises the issue on necessity as well as their heavy impact on labor productivity and cost of production inasmuch as they serve to further increase the number of non-working days already provided by law,” the groups said in a letter to Escudero.

The groups said Senate has recently approved Senate Bill 1270 declaring the last Monday of January as National Bible Day, a special working holiday.

According to the PCCI, Philexport, and ECOP, the country already enjoys 15 national non-working days, apart from other paid leaves provided for by existing special laws, such as solo parent leave and maternity leave, among others.

The business groups said the law also grants the President discretionary power to proclaim additional regular and special days pursuant to Republic Act 9492 seeking to rationalize the celebration of national holidays in the country.

“The President, thus, has regularly proclaimed days as special holidays, such as election day and Black Saturday,” they said.

The groups said the national nonworking days do not include local nonworking holidays celebrated by local government units.

In addition, they cited the intermit- tent declarations of work suspension due to typhoons, flooding, and other calamities.

ECOP earlier warned excessive nonworking days would hamper operations and production, especially for the manufacturing and service sectors.

It said should an employer require its workers to report to work on such days, it increases the cost of services and production as the employer, who is obliged to pay his worker full pay for the day/s not worked, would also be obliged to put an additional 30 percent of the daily rate of 100 percent for the first eight hours of work.