Long weekends

The recent August 2, Monday, of this year was a special nonworking holiday as we commemorated the death of former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr., when in 1983 was shot dead at the former Manila International Airport. The said airport was later named after him.

Yesterday, August 28, a Monday, was a regular non-working holiday as during the said date, we celebrate National Heroes Day. Just like the previous holiday, it’s a long weekend.

This coming September 1, a Friday, it would be again a special non-working holiday as our Muslim brothers would be having their Eid-Ul-Adha, or their Feast of Sacrifice. Again, it’s a long weekend all over the country.

For schoolchildren and those who want to take a respite from their work, the said days are feast for them as these are opportunities for play, out-of-town trips or simply days to get lazy and get rest at home.

For motorists, it would mean lesser traffic jams on roads since there is the significant decrease in the number of road users because of the holidays. Further, there are not much people in urban places because they are mostly in the provinces if not just mere resting in their abodes.

For the government, it would also mean a rest from routine works except of course those in the line of services where continuous public services are required. Mostly of government workers however, are also on holidays during the said dates.

For the wanderers and the drifters, long weekends are opportune times to travel and go places of interests. Regardless of the season and the weather, trips to tourists spots are ideal during the long break from work.

These holidays somehow help local tourism as people plan and execute their trips or vacations in other places, usually those places where resting and relaxing is much known.

Employees would get their breaks and distance themselves from their normal day-to-day work life by going to places without filing their leaves of absence or simply getting away from their offices of workplaces.

Some employers particularly those in the manufacturing or production line however, would scratch their heads as they are left with two choices: to observe the holidays and defer their production or pay their employees double the amount.

If they will observe the nonworking holidays, they would be able to save production costs but would be losing production time. If they would continue their production time however, they would be losing some amount as they would be adding some amount to the salaries of their workers.

A friend of mine who is an employer of a mid-sized manufacturing company is having this experience. For many of his employees however, long weekends are opportunities to rest or to earn more.