Calendar of values

As Randy David pointed out, there’s such a thing as The politics of holidays:

Most holidays fall on fixed dates in the calendar—like birthdays, death anniversaries, wedding anniversaries, Independence Day and Christmas Day. Others follow the cosmic rhythm of the seasons—like the holy days of Lent in the lengthening days of spring.

By their nature, holidays are never convenient; they are precisely meant to interrupt the routine carved by work in our daily lives. They are necessary pauses, memory markers creating space for special reflection—distinct from the normal weekend or the long holiday breaks we take in order to rest.

At the time he wrote his column, Congress had passed a law that still awaited the President’s signature. She could have vetoed it, but instead, she signed it. And so, Republic Act 9492 is now in force and effect. It makes many formerly fixed national holidays moveable, so as to create long weekends. The holidays that were once permanent fixtures of our official calendar, but which have now been divorced from their original dates, are the following (not including holidays that fall on days that vary from year to year, anyway, like Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Eidul Fitr):

Araw ng Kagitingan - Monday nearest April 9
Labor Day - Monday nearest May 1
Independence Day    - Monday nearest June 12
Ninoy Aquino Day    - Monday nearest August 21
National Heroes Day - Last Monday of August
Bonifacio Day - Monday nearest November 30
Rizal Day - Monday nearest December 30

These are non-working holidays. Working holidays have, obviously, been left untouched.

The most controversial among these new, moveable holidays is Independence Day. Some argue that we now have the (unenviable) distinction of being the only nation on earth, that has divorced its Independence Day from the actual historical date. Other days, too, such as Bonifacio’s birth anniversary and Rizal’s death anniversary, have been detached from their actual dates as well.

The debate concerning our official attitudes concerning holidays got me to jump-start a project I conceived a long time ago, and which I’ve been doing research on, from time to time, for close to a decade.

I’ve set up a Wiki called Official Calendar of the Republic. I invite you to take a look, and if anyone has information they’d like to contribute, kindly leave me a comment here.

Among the interesting things I discovered is that the change in holidays has officially divorced us, not only from the actual dates on which certain events took place, but with our countrymen who once upon a time, until now, always commemorated those dates. For example, see the Month of November.

Bonifacio’s birthday was established as holiday, by law, in 1921. From 1921 to 2006, then, Filipinos always commemorated that day as a holiday: whether it was under the American, the Japanese, or our own flag. But henceforth, Bonifacio Day will wander and be determined more by “holiday economics” than the need to actually recall the Great Plebeian.

Take a look, too, at other months. February or October, for example. There are some months dedicated to a certain theme; weeks also dedicated to a certain commemoration; and days, either determined by law or presidential proclamation, that are meant to commemorate certain things as well. This has been going on for generations, and eventually, since many executive issuances and law are in effect for perpetuity unless specifically repealed or revoked, our official calendar is going to be very cluttered, indeed.

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