Sen. Chiz Escudero clarifies number of PH holidays will be 'limited' rather than reduced

Senate President Chiz Escudero has set the record straight following the online backlash he received regarding the proposal to limit the number of holidays in the country.

In an interview with radio DWIZ on Saturday, Aug. 10, Escudero clarified that the Senate is not considering reducing the existing number of holidays but rather not adding more holidays as this would cause "less competitiveness" toward Filipino workers.

"Actually ang polisiya ng Senado, huwag nang dagdagan, hindi naman bawasan, huwag nang dagdagan pa yung 25 at i-rationalize na yan upang sa gayon hindi maging pabigat, hindi lamang sa employer pero nagiging uncompetitive, less competitive din yung mga manggagawa natin," he said.

"Layunin lamang namin na mas maging competitive ang Pilipinas," Escudero added.

The Senate president also underscored that removing existing holidays is a long process.

"Hindi pa kayang gawin. Paano ko naman tatanggalin yung mga holiday na nakasanayan na, ika nga diba, mahabang proseso 'yun, 'di kakayanin 'yan ng kasalukuyang kongreso pero yung polisiyang huwag nang pabigatin pa yung dating mabigat, huwag nang dagdagan pa 'yung dating marami, siguro naman mas kaya naming gawin yun."

"Hindi babawasan pero sisikapin namin huwag nang dagdagan pa," he emphasized. 

Escudero also hopes that the Philippines will examine how we celebrate holidays, focusing on their celebratory aspects.

"Baka naman gusto natin pag-aralan, hindi ngayon sa mga darating na panahon, hanapan naman natin 'yung holiday natin, 'yung nagbubunyi tayo, 'yung masaya tayo, yung nagtagumpay tayo, yung nanalo tayo hindi 'yung mga holiday na bumagsak ang Bataan, April 9, holiday."

He continued, "Sana sa darating na panahon, hindi [man] ngayon, mapag-aralan at tingnan ito. Pero pansamantala, ang polisya ng Senado, huwag nang dagdagan pa yung 25 kada taon nasa kasalukuyan ay nangyayari na."

Heart Evangelista, Escudero's wife, went live on TikTok to defend her husband.

"Hindi po mababawasan ang holiday, hindi lang siya madadagdagan. So relax, chillax, we're gonna be okay," the president of the Senate Spouses Foundation Inc. said.

'Huwag naman nilang isipin na gan'on kami kasasamang tao'

Escudero also took the opportunity to clarify that the Senate is not "insensitive" to Filipinos.

"Huwag naman nilang isipin na gan'on kami kasasamang tao, hindi sensitibong tao, lahat ng bagay na ginagawa namin, ang sabi ko nga sa talumpati ko sa opening ng kongreso, common sense, nais naming gamitin ang common sense sa lahat ng mga bagay na aming gagawin."

"Ang layunin ay padaliin, pabilisin at paagangin ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan," he noted.

The statement came after Escudero said in a press briefing on Wednesday, Aug. 7 that the Senate is examining a proposal limiting the number of holidays.

According to him, the current number of holidays, which can sometimes last for more than a month, is thought to be "detrimental to the competitiveness" of Filipino workers and businesses.

"Mahigit isang buwan na ang holiday sa buong bansa which makes Philippine company and workers less competitive," he said.

Moreover, Escudero said that the country's lawmakers agreed to limit the number of holidays as multiple holidays like Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor), National Heroes Day, and even holidays for individual heroes can lead to an overload of holidays, with each hero or event getting its own day.