Not every holiday on the Philippine calendar pays the same. A regular holiday and a special (non-working) day can look identical on a wall calendar — both mean no classes, both mean government offices close — but under the Labor Code they trigger completely different pay rules for anyone who actually works that day, or doesn't.
Mixing the two up is the single most common source of payroll disputes around holidays. Here's the full 2026 list, and exactly what each type means for your pay.
- 12 Regular holidays in 2026
- 4 Special (non-working) days in 2026
- 200% Pay for working a regular holiday
- 130% Pay for working a special non-working day
Why the distinction matters
Regular holidays carry a guaranteed 100% pay even if you don't work, plus a 200% premium if you do. Special non-working days follow "no work, no pay" if you're absent, and 130% if you're at work. Same-looking day off, very different payslip.
The Full 2026 Holiday Calendar
| Date | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, January 1 | New Year's Day | Regular |
| Thursday, April 2 | Maundy Thursday | Regular |
| Friday, April 3 | Good Friday | Regular |
| Thursday, April 9 | Araw ng Kagitingan | Regular |
| Movable — date TBC | Eid'l Fitr | Regular |
| Friday, May 1 | Labor Day | Regular |
| Movable — date TBC | Eid'l Adha | Regular |
| Friday, June 12 | Independence Day | Regular |
| Friday, August 21 | Ninoy Aquino Day | Special (non-working) |
| Monday, August 31 | National Heroes Day | Regular |
| Sunday, November 1 | All Saints' Day | Special (non-working) |
| Monday, November 30 | Bonifacio Day | Regular |
| Tuesday, December 8 | Feast of the Immaculate Conception | Special (non-working) |
| Friday, December 25 | Christmas Day | Regular |
| Wednesday, December 30 | Rizal Day | Regular |
| Thursday, December 31 | Last Day of the Year | Special (non-working) |
Eid'l Fitr and Eid'l Adha follow the Islamic lunar calendar and are confirmed closer to the date by Presidential Proclamation — expect them roughly in March–April and May–June 2026 respectively, but treat the exact dates as provisional until proclaimed.
Two holidays, one date
Occasionally a regular holiday and a special day fall on the same date, or a regular holiday lands on a rest day. Both cases carry their own combined premium — check the specific date against your payroll policy or use the calculator linked below rather than assuming the rates simply add up.
Regular Holidays vs Special Non-Working Days: The Pay Rules
These rules come from the Labor Code and DOLE's yearly holiday-pay guidelines, and they apply to daily-paid rank-and-file employees. Monthly-paid employees are typically already covered for unworked holidays through their monthly rate — check your company policy if you're unsure which applies to you.
Regular Holiday
- If you work: 200% of your daily wage for the first eight hours. Work is paid at 200% of your hourly rate for anything beyond that, and higher still if it also falls on your rest day.
- If you don't work: you're still entitled to 100% of your daily wage — provided you were present, or on paid leave, on the workday immediately before the holiday. Employers can withhold this if that condition isn't met.
- Two regular holidays on consecutive days: being present or on leave before the first one generally preserves pay for both, subject to your employer's specific policy.
Special (Non-Working) Day
- If you work: 130% of your daily wage for the first eight hours.
- If you don't work: the default rule is "no work, no pay" — unless your company has a more favorable policy, or your employment contract says otherwise.
The one-line version
Regular holiday: paid whether you work or not, extra if you do. Special non-working day: paid only if you work, and at a lower premium than a regular holiday.
Key Takeaways
- 2026 has 12 regular holidays (two with dates still to be proclaimed) and 4 special non-working days.
- Regular holidays guarantee 100% pay even if unworked, and 200% if worked. Special non-working days are "no work, no pay" by default, with 130% if worked.
- Eid'l Fitr and Eid'l Adha are movable — confirm the exact 2026 dates once proclaimed rather than planning around an estimate.
- National Heroes Day (last Monday of August) lands on August 31, 2026.
- Need the actual peso premium for a shift you worked or are scheduling? Our Overtime & Holiday Pay Calculator computes it against your real daily rate, including combined-holiday and rest-day scenarios.
Sources
- Department of Labor and Employment — annual holiday pay guidelines
- Official Gazette of the Philippines — Presidential Proclamation setting the 2026 national holidays
- Supreme Court E-Library — Labor Code of the Philippines, Article 94 (holiday pay)