DOLE reminds employers of pay rules for 2 holidays

National

WITH two national holidays coming up in June, workers in Cebu, whether they go to work or not, are entitled to receive proper holiday pay.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has released Labor Advisory No. 08, Series of 2025, outlining the rules on proper payment of wages for employees during the upcoming regular holidays on Thursday, June 6 (Eidul Adha), and Wednesday, June 12 (Independence Day).

Based on Proclamation No. 727 (s. 2024) and Proclamation No. 911 (s. 2025), the following pay rules will apply across the country, including in Cebu:

For employees who will not work on the holiday, employers must still pay 100 percent of their daily wage, provided they reported to work or were on paid leave the day before the holiday.

If the day before the holiday is a rest day or non-working day, they are still entitled to holiday pay as long as they worked or were on paid leave on the last working day before that.

For employees who report to work on the holiday, employers must pay 200 percent of the employee’s daily wage for the first eight hours of work.

For overtime work on the holiday, or work exceeding eight hours, employees must receive an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate on top of the holiday pay.

If the holiday falls on an employee’s rest day and they work, they must be paid an additional 30 percent of the 200 percent daily wage, bringing the total to 260 percent.

For overtime work during a holiday that also falls on a rest day, employees are entitled to an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate on top of the 260 percent pay, amounting to a compounded rate of 200 percent × 130 percent × 130 percent per hour worked in excess.

DOLE urged employers to strictly comply with these guidelines to ensure that workers across the region, including those in Cebu’s industrial zones, service sector, and public-facing jobs, are properly compensated in accordance with the law.

The advisory reinforces workers’ rights to fair pay, especially as many are expected to either report for duty or rest during the observance of Eidul Adha, a major Muslim celebration, and Independence Day, which marks the Philippines’ declaration of freedom from Spanish colonial rule in 1898.

Employees and employers in Cebu are encouraged to review the pay rules and consult with DOLE-7 or their local labor offices for clarification.(TGP)