By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Senate President Chiz Escudero announced Friday(09 Aug 2024) that the Senate has agreed to limit the number of holidays in the country to enhance competitiveness.
“The Senate has agreed to reduce the number of holidays. We already have over a month’s worth of holidays nationwide, which makes Filipino companies and workers less competitive,” Escudero said in a press briefing on August 7.
“There are city holidays, municipal holidays, provincial holidays, national holidays, and religious holidays, which contribute to our lack of competitiveness,” he added.
The Senate President cited the United States as an example, where they commemorate all former presidents in a single day.
“They have Presidents’ Day, where they honor all their notable presidents in just one holiday. But here, it’s different. We have Araw ng Kagitingan, National Heroes’ Day, and whenever a hero is killed, another holiday is declared, right?” Escudero remarked.
Netizens have criticized Escudero’s statement about limiting holidays in the country.
(ia/mnm)
